rnia 
il 


M=Cutcheon 


Her  eyes  were  starry  bright,  her  red  lips  were  parted 

(Page  381) 


BY 

GEORGE  BARR  McCUTCHEON 

AUTHOR  OF 
GRAUSTARK,   BEVERLY  OP   GRAUSTARK,  ETC. 


'J7ITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 

A.  I.  KELLER 


NEW  YORK 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


Made  io  the  United  Stale*  of  America 


COPTBIOHT,    1914, 
DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPAH> 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  MR.   AND  MRS.   BLITHERS  Discuss   MATRI- 
MONY             ....„....,.,.  ..;              1 

II  Two  COUNTRIES  Discuss  MARRIAGE     ,.,  ...     14 

III  MR.  BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING    ,.•    t.,    ,.,  ,..     27 

IV  PROTECTING  THE  BLOOD    ....     ,,,  ,.,     43 

V  PRINCE  ROBIN  is  ASKED  TO  STAND  UP  ,.,  ;.     58 

VI  THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS    ,.,    ,.  ..     73 

VII  A  LETTER  FROM  MAUD    .      .     ,..     ,.•     i.:  .     95 

VIII  ON   BOARD   THE    JUPITER     .     ...     „.     t.  ...   Ill 

IX  THE  PRINCE  MEETS  Miss  GUILE     ,..     :.  ..   126 

X  AN  HOUR  ON  DECK    .      .     ..     ...     ...     ,.,  .   143 

XI  THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS     ,.  .158 

XII  THE    LIEUTENANT    REPORTS       „•     ;.     ,.,  .    175 

XIII  THE    RED   LETTER   B.     .     ,.,     ,.,     »,     „•  *   192 

XIV  THE  CAT  is  AWAY     .     ....     ,.,    ,„     w     ...  ;.   207 
XV  THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP     ,.,    ,.:     ,.,     M    lw  „   222 

XVI  THREE  MESSAGES         .      .     M    »,    i.     »  •..  243 

XVII  THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER     ,.-     w    m     ...  .   259 

XVIII  A  WORD  OF  ENCOURAGEMENT     ,.     „,     k.  .   279 

XIX  "  WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  Do "     ..     „,  .  296 

XX  LOVE  IN  ABEYANCE     ....     ,...    ,.  ;.   313 

XXI  MR.  BLITHERS  ARRIVES  IN  GRAUSTARK  .  .  329 

XXII  A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE        .     ..,     ,.      .  .   345 

XXIII  PINGARI'S 367 

XIV  JUST  WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  EXPECTED  384 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Her  eyes  -were  starry  bright,  her  red  lips  were  parted 

Frontispiece 


FACIKO 
PAGE 


"You  will  be  her  choice,"  said  the  other,  without 

the  quiver  of  an  eye-lash 92 

"I  shall  pray  for  continuous  rough  weather"  .     .       .  156 

The  dignified  Ministry  of  Graustark  sat  agape      .       .  362 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 


CHAPTER    I 

ME.    AND    MRS.    BLITHERS    DISCUSS    MATRIMONY 

"  MY  DEAR,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  with  decision,  "  you 
can't  tell  me." 

"  I  know  I  can't,"  said  his  wife,  quite  as  positively. 
She  knew  when  she  could  tell  him  a  thing  and  when  she 
couldn't. 

It  was  quite  impossible  to  impart  information  to 
Mr.  Blithers  when  he  had  the  tips  of  two  resolute  fin- 
gers embedded  in  his  ears.  That  happened  to  be  his 
customary  and  rather  unfair  method  of  conquering 
her  when  an  argument  was  going  against  him,  not  for 
want  of  logic  on  his  part,  but  because  it  was  easier  to 
express  himself  with  his  ears  closed  than  with  them 
open.  By  this  means  he  effectually  shut  out  the  voice 
of  opposition  and  had  the  discussion  all  to  himself. 
Of  course,  it  would  have  been  more  convincing  if  he 
had  been  permitted  to  hear  the  sound  of  his  own  elo- 
quence ;  still,  it  was  effective. 

She  was  sure  to  go  on  talking  for  two  or  three  min- 
utes and  then  subside  in  despair.  A  woman  will  not 
talk  to  a  stone  wall.  Nor  will  she  wantonly  allow  an 
argument  to  die  while  there  remains  the  slightest 
chance  of  its  survival.  Given  the  same  situation,  a 
man  would  get  up  and  leave  his  wife  sitting  there  with 
her  fingers  in  her  ears ;  and,  as  he  bolted  from  the  room 
in  high  dudgeon,  he  would  be  mean  enough  to  call  at- 

1 


* 

tention    to    her    pig-headedness.     In    most    cases,    a 
woman  is  content  to  listen  to  a  silly  argument  rather 
than  to  leave  the  room  just  because  her  husband  elects ' 
to  be  childish  about  a  perfectly  simple  elucidation  of 
the  truth, 

Mrs.  Blithers  had  lived  with  Mr.  Blithers,  more  or' 
less,  for  twenty-five  years  and  she  knew  him  like  a. 
book.     He  was  a  forceful  person  who  would  have  his 
own  way,  even  though  he  had  to  put  his  fingers  in  his 
ears  to  get  it.     At  one  period  of  their  joint  connubial 
agreement,  when  he  had  succeeded  in  accumulating  a 
pitiful  hoard  amounting  to  but  little  more  than  ten 
millions  of  dollars,  she  concluded  to  live  abroad  for 
the  purpose  of  educating  their  daughter,  allowing  him ' 
in  the  meantime  to  increase  his  fortune  to  something . 
like   fifty   millions    without   having   to    worry    about  ] 
household  affairs.     But  she  had  sojourned  with  him' 
long  enough,  at  odd  times,  to  realise  that,  so  long  as , 
he  lived,  he  would  never  run  away  from  an  argument 
—  unless,  by  some  dreadful  hook  or  crook,  he  should  be  , 
so  unfortunate  as  to  be  deprived  of  the  use  of  both 
hands.     She  found  room  to  gloat,  of  course,  in  the 
fact  that  he  was  obliged  to  stop  up  his  ears  in  order1 
to  shut  out  the  incontrovertible. 

Moreover,  when  he  called  her  "  my  dear "  instead 
of  the  customary  Lou,  it  was  a  sign  of  supreme  ob- 
stinacy on  his  part  and  could  not,  by  any  stretch  of 
the  imagination,  be  regarded  as  an  indication  of  placid 
affection.  He  always  said  "  my  dear  "  at  the  top  of 
his  voice  and  with  a  great  deal  of  irascibility. 


THE  BLITHERS  DISCUSS  MATRIMONY        3 

Mr.  William  W.  Blithers  was  a  self-made  man  who 
had  begun  his  career  by  shouting  lustily  at  a  team  of 
mules  in  a  railway  construction  camp.  Other  drivers 
had  tried  to  improve  on  his  vocabulary  but  even  the 
mules  were  able  to  appreciate  the  futility  of  such  an 
ambition,  and  later  on,  when  he  came  to  own  two  or 
three  railroads,  to  say  nothing  of  a  few  mines  and  a 
steam  yacht,  his  ability  to  drive  men  was  even  more 
noteworthy  than  his  power  over  the  jackasses  had 
been.  But  driving  mules  and  men  was  one  thing,  driv- 
ing a  wife  another.  What  incentive  has  a  man,  said 
he,  when  after  he  gets  through  bullying  a  creature  that 
very  creature  turns  in  and  caresses  him?  No  self- 
respecting  mule  ever  did  such  a  thing  as  that,  and  no 
man  would  think  of  it  except  with  horror.  There  is 
absolutely  no  defence  against  a  creature  who  will  rub 
your  head  with  loving,  gentle  fingers  after  she  has 
.worked  you  up  to  the  point  where  you  could  kill  her 
with  pleasure  —  or  at  least  so  said  Mr.  Blithers  with 
rueful  frequency. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blithers  had  been  discussing  royalty. 
Up  to  the  previous  week  they  had  restricted  themselves 
to  the  nobility,  but  as  an  event  of  unexampled  im- 
portance had  transpired  in  the  interim,  they  now  felt 
that  it  would  be  the  rankest  stupidity  to  consider  any 
one  short  of  a  Prince  Royal  in  picking  out  a  suitable 
husband  —  or,  more  properly  speaking,  consort  —  for 
their  only  daughter,  Maud  Applegate  Blithers,  aged 
twenty. 

Mrs.  Blithers  long  ago  had  convinced  her  husband 


4  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

that  no  ordinary  human  being  of  the  male  persuasion 
was  worthy  of  their  daughter's  hand,  and  had  set  her 
heart  on  having  nothing  meaner  than  a  Duke  on  the 
family  roll, — (Blithers  alluded  to  it  for  a  while  as  the 
pay-roll) — ,  with  the  choice  lying  between  England 
and  Italy.  At  first,  Blithers,  being  an  honest  soul, 
insisted  that  a  good  American  gentleman  was  all  that 
anybody  could  ask  for  in  the  way  of  a  son-in-law,  and 
that  when  it  came  to  a  grandchild  it  would  be  perfectly, 
proper  to  christen  him  Duke  —  lots  of  people  did !  — * 
and  that  was  about  all  that  a  title  amounted  to  any- 
way. She  met  this  with  the  retort  that  Maud  might 
marry  a  man  named  Jones,  and  how  would  Duke  Jones 
sound?  He  weakly  suggested  that  they  could  christen 
him  Marmaduke  and  —  but  she  reminded  him  of  his 
oft-repeated  boast  that  there  was  nothing  in  the  world 
too  good  for  Maud  and  instituted  a  pictorial  campaign 
against  his  prejudices  by  painting  in  the  most  allur- 
ing colours  the  picture  of  a  ducal  palace  in  which  the 
name  of  Jones  would  never  be  uttered  except  when 
employed  in  directing  the  fifth  footman  or  the  third 
stable-boy  —  or  perhaps  a  scullery  maid  —  to  do  this, 
that  or  the  other  thing  at  the  behest  of  her  Grace,  the 
daughter  of  William  W.  Blithers.  This  eventually 
worked  on  his  imagination  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
forgot  his  natural  pride  and  admitted  that  perhaps  she 
was  right. 

But  now,  just  as  they  were  on  the  point  of  accept- 
ing, in  lieu  of  a  Duke,  an  exceptionally  promising 
Count,  the  aforesaid  event  conspired  to  completely^ 


THE  BLITHERS  DISCUSS  MATRIMONY        5 

upset  all  of  their  plans  —  or  notions,  so  to  speak.  It 
was  nothing  less  than  the  arrival  in  America  of  an  eli- 
gible Prince  of  the  royal  blood,  a  ruling  Prince  at  that. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  he  had  not  only  arrived  in  Amer- 
ica but  upon  the  vast  estate  adjoining  their  own  in  the 
Cat«kills. 

Jtortunately  nothing  definite  had  been  arranged 
with  the  Count.  Mrs.  Blithers  now  advised  waiting 
a  while  before  giving  a  definite  answer  to  his  somewhat 
eager  proposal,  especially  as  he  was  reputed  to  have 
sufficient  means  of  his  own  to  defend  the  chateau 
against  any  immediate  peril  of  profligacy.  She  coun- 
selled Mr.  Blithers  to  notify  him  that  he  deemed  it 
wise  to  take  the  matter  under  advisement  for  a  couple 
of  weeks  at  least,  but  not  to  commit  himself  to  any- 
thing positively  negative. 

Mr.  Blithers  said  that  he  had  never  heard  anything 
so  beautifully  adroit  as  "  positively  negative,"  ancJ 
directed  his  secretary  to  submit  to  him  without  delay 
the  draft  of  a  tactful  letter  to  the  anxious  nobleman. 
They  were  agreed  that  a  Prince  was  more  to  be  desired 
than  a  Count  and,  as  long  as  they  were  actually  about 
it,  they  might  as  well  aim  high.  Somewhat  hazily  Mr. 
Blithers  had  inquired  if  it  wouldn't  be  worth  while  to 
consider  a  King,  but  his  wife  set  him  straight  in  short 
order. 

Peculiarly  promising  to  their  hopes  was  the  indis- 
putable fact  that  the  Prince's  mother  had  married  an 
American,  thereby  establishing  a  precedent  behind 
which  no  constitutional  obstacle  could  thrive,  and  had 


«  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

lived  very  happily  with  the  gentleman  in  spite  of  the 
critics.  Moreover,  she  had  met  him  while  sojourning 
on  American  soil,  and  that  was  certainly  an  excellent 
augury  for  the  success  of  the  present  enterprise. 
What  could  be  more  fitting  than  that  the  son  should 
follow  in  the  footsteps  of  an  illustrious  mother?  If 
an  American  gentleman  was  worthy  of  a  princess., 
why  not  the  other  way  about?  Certainly  Maud 
Blithers  was  as  full  of  attributes  as  any  man  in  Amer- 
ica. 

It  appears  that  the  Prince,  after  leisurely  crossing 
the  continent  on  his  way  around  the  world,  had  come 
to  the  Truxton  Kings  for  a  long-promised  and  much- 
desired  visit,  the  duration  of  which  depended  to  some 
extent  on  his  own  inclinations,  and  not  a  little  on  the 
outcome  of  the  war-talk  that  affected  two  great  Euro- 
pean nations  —  Russia  and  Austria.  Ever  since  the 
historic  war  between  the  Balkan  allies  and  the  Turks, 
in  1912  and  1913,  there  had  been  mutterings,  and  now: 
the  situation  had  come  to  be  admittedly  precarious. 
Mr.  Blithers  was  in  a  position  to  know  that  the  little 
principality  over  which  the  young  man  reigned  was 
bound  to  be  drawn  into  the  cataclysm,  not  as  a  bel- 
ligerent or  an  ally,  but  in  the  matter  of  a  loan  that 
inconveniently  expired  within  the  year  and  which 
would  hardly  be  renewed  by  Russia  with  the  prospect 
of  vast  expenditures  of  war  threatening  her  treasury. 
The  loan  undoubtedly  would  be  called  and  Graustark 
was  not  in  a  position  to  pay  out  of  her  own  slender 
resources,  two  years  of  famine  having  fallen  upon  the 


people  at  a  time  when  prosperity  was  most  to  be  de- 
sired. 

He  was  in  touch  with  the  great  financial  movements 
in  all  the  world's  capitals,  and  he  knew  that  retrench- 
ment was  the  watchword.  It  would  be  no  easy  matter 
for  the  little  principality  to  negotiate  a  loan  at  this 
particular  tide,  nor  was  there  even  a  slender  chance 
that  Russia  would  be  benevolently  disposed  toward  her 
debtors,  no  matter  how  small  their  obligations.  They 
who  owed  would  be  called  upon  to  pay,  they  who  peti- 
tioned would  be  turned  away  with  scant  courtesy.  It 
was  the  private  opinion  of  Mr.  Blithers  that  the  young 
Prince  and  the  trusted  agents  who  accompanied  him 
on  his  journey,  were  in  the  United  States  solely  for 
the  purpose  of  arranging  a  loan  through  sources  that 
could  only  be  reached  by  personal  appeal.  But,  natu- 
rally, Mr.  Blithers  couldn't  breathe  this  to  a  soul. 
.Under  the  circumstances  he  couldn't  even  breathe  it 
to  his  wife  who,  he  firmly  believed,  was  soulless. 

But  all  this  is  beside  the  question.  The  young 
Prince  of  Graustark  was  enjoying  American  hospi- 
tality, and  no  matter  what  he  owed  to  Russia,  America 
owed  to  him  its  most  punctillious  consideration.  If 
Mr.  Blithers  was  to  have  anything  to  say  about  the 
matter,  it  would  be  for  the  ear  of  the  Prince  alone  and 
not  for  the  busybodies. 

The  main  point  is  that  the  Prince  was  now  rusticat- 
ing within  what  you  might  call  a  stone's  throw  of  the 
capacious  and  lordly  country  residence  of  Mr.  Blith- 
ers ;  moreover,  he  was  an  uncommonly  attractive  chap, 


8  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

with  a  laugh  that  was  so  charged  with  heartiness  that 
it  didn't  seem  possible  that  he  could  have  a  drop  of 
royal  blood  in  his  vigorous  young  body.  And  the  per- 
fectly ridiculous  part  of  the  whole  situation  was  that 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  King  lived  in  a  modest,  vine-covered  lit- 
tle house  that  could  have  been  lost  in  the  servants* 
quarters  at  Blitherwood.  Especially  aggravating, 
too,  was  the  attitude  of  the  Kings.  They  were  really 
nobodies,  so  to  speak,  and  yet  they  blithely  called  their 
royal  guest  "  Bobby  "  and  allowed  him  to  fetch  and 
carry  for  their  women-folk  quite  as  if  he  were  an  or- 
dinary whipper-snapper  up  from  the  city  to  spend  the 
week-end. 

The  remark  with  which  Mr.  Blithers  introduces  this 
chapter  was  in  response  to  an  oft-repeated  declaration 
made  by  his  wife  in  the  shade  of  the  red,  white  and 
blue  awning  of  the  terrace  overlooking,  from  its  des- 
potic heights,  the  modest  red  roof  of  the  King  villa  in 
the  valley  below.  Mrs.  Blithers  merely  had  stated — • 
but  over  and  over  again  —  that  money  couldn't  buy 
everything  in  the  world,  referring  directly  to  social 
eminence  and  indirectly  to  their  secret  ambition  to 
capture  a  Prince  of  the  royal  blood  for  their  daughter 
Maud.  She  had  prefaced  this  opinion,  however,  with 
the  exceedingly  irritating  insinuation  that  Mr.  Blith- 
ers was  not  in  his  right  mind  when  he  proposed  invit- 
ing the  Prince  to  spend  a  few  weeks  at  Blitherwood, 
provided  the  young  man  could  cut  short  his  visit  in 
the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King,  who,  he  had  assev- 
erated* were  not  in  a  position  to  entertain  roy- 


THE  BLITHERS  DISCUSS  MATRIMONY       9 

alty  as  royalty  was  In  the  habit  of  being  entertained. 

Long  experience  had  taught  Mr.  Blithers  to  read 
the  lip  and  eye  language  with  some  degree  of  certainty, 
so  by  watching  his  wife's  indignant  face  closely  he  was 
able  to  tell  when  she  was  succumbing  to  reason.  He 
was  a  burly,  domineering  person  who  reasoned  for 
every  one  within  range  of  his  voice,  and  it  was  only 
when  his  wife  became  coldly  sarcastic  that  he  closed 
his  ears  and  boomed  his  opinions  into  her  very  teeth, 
so  to  say,  joyfully  overwhelming  her  with  facts  which 
it  were  futile  for  her  to  attempt  to  deny.  He  was 
aware,  quite  as  much  so  as  if  he  had  heard  the  words, 
that  she  was  now  saying: 

"  Well,  there  is  absolutely  no  use  arguing  with  you, 
Will.  Have  it  your  way  if  it  pleases  you." 

Eying  her  with  some  uneasiness,  he  cautiously  in- 
serted his  thumbs  in  the  armholes  of  his  brocaded 
waistcoat,  and  proclaimed: 

"  As  I  said  before,  Lou,  there  isn't  a  foreign  noble- 
man, from  the  Emperor  down,  who  is  above  grabbing 
a  few  million  dollars.  They're  all  hard  up,  and  what 
do  they  gain  by  marrying  ladies  of  noble  birth  if  said 
ladies  are  the  daughters  of  noblemen  who  are  as  hard 
up  as  all  the  rest  of  'em?  Besides,  hasn't  Maud  been 
presented  at  Court?  Didn't  you  see  to  that?  How 
about  that  pearl  necklace  I  gave  her  when  she  was  pre- 
sented? Wasn't  it  the  talk  of  the  season?  There 
wasn't  a  Duke  in  England  who  didn't  figure  the  cost 
of  that  necklace  to  within  a  guinea  or  two.  No  girl 
ever  had  better  advertising  than  — " 


10          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  We  were  speaking  of  Prince  Robin,"  remarked  his 
wife,  with  a  slight  shudder.  Mrs.  Blithers  came  of 
better  stock  than  her  husband.  His  gaucheries  fre- 
quently set  her  teeth  on  edge.  She  was  born  in  Prov- 
idence and  sometimes  mentioned  the  occurrence  when 
particularly  desirous  of  squelching  him,  not  unkindly 
perhaps  but  by  way  of  making  him  realise  that  their 
daughter  had  good  blood  in  her  veins.  Mr.  Blithers 
had  heard,  in  a  round-about  way,  that  he  first  saw  the 
light  of  day  in  Jersey  City,  although  after  he  became 
famous  Newark  claimed  him.  He  did  not  bother  about 
the  matter. 

"  Well,  he's  like  all  the  rest  of  them,"  said  he,  after 
a  moment  of  indecision.  Something  told  him  that  he 
really  ought  to  refrain  from  talking  about  the  cost  of 
things,  even  in  the  bosom  of  his  family.  He  had  heard 
that  only  vulgarians  speak  of  their  possessions. 
"  Now,  there's  no  reason  in  the  world  why  we  shouldn't 
consider  his  offer.  He — " 

"  Offer  ?  "  she  cried,  aghast.  "  He  has  made  no 
offer,  Will.  He  doesn't  even  know  that  Maud  is  in  ex- 
istence. How  can  you  say  such  a  thing?  " 

"  I  was  merely  looking  ahead,  that's  all.  My 
motto  is  *  Look  Ahead.'  You  know  it  as  well  as  I  do. 
Where  would  I  be  to-day  if  I  hadn't  looked  ahead  and 
seen  what  was  going  to  happen  before  the  other  fellow 
had  his  eyes  open?  Will  you  tell  me  that?  Where, 
I  say  ?  What's  more,  where  would  I  be  now  if  I  hadn't 
looked  ahead  and  seen  what  a  marriage  with  the  daugh- 
ter of  Judge  Morton  would  mean  to  me  in  the  long 


THE  BLITHERS  DISCUSS  MATRIMONY      11 

run?  n  He  felt  that  he  had  uttered  a  very  pretty  and 
convincing  compliment.  "  I  never  made  a  bad  bar- 
gain in  my  life,  Lou,  and  it  wasn't  guess-work  when 
I  married  you.  You,  my  dear  old  girl,  you  were  the 
solid  foundation  on  which  I  — " 

"  I  know,"  she  said  wearily ;  "  you've  said  it  a  thou- 
sand times :  '  The  foundation  on  which  I  built  my 
temple  of  posterity  ' —  yes,  I  know,  Will.  But  I  am, 
still  unalterably  opposed  to  making  ourselves  ridicu- 
lous in  the  eyes  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King." 

•"  Ridiculous  ?     I  don't  understand  you." 

*'  Well,  you  will  after  you  think  it  over,"  she  said 
quietly,  and  he  scowled  in  positive  perplexity. 

"  Don't  you  think  he'd  be  a  good  match  for 
Maud  ?  "  he  asked,  after  many  minutes.  He  felt  that 
he  had  thought  it  over. 

"  Are  you  thinking  of  kidnapping  him,  Will?  "  she 
demanded. 

"  Certainly  not !  But  all  you've  got  to  do  is  to  say 
that  he's  the  man  for  Maud  and  I'll  —  I'll  do  the  rest. 
That's  the  kind  of  a  man  I  am,  Lou.  You  say  you 
don't  want  Count  What's-His-Name, —  that  is,  you 
don'r,  want  him  as  much  as  you  did, —  and  you  do  say 
that  it  would  be  the  grandest  thing  in  the  world  if 
Maud  could  be  the  Princess  of  Grosstick  — " 

"  Gi-austark,  Will." 

"  That's  what  I  said.  Well,  if  you  want  her  to  be 
the  Princess  of  THAT,  I'll  see  that  she  is,  providing 
this  fellow  is  a  gentleman  and  worthy  of  her.  The 
only  Prince  I  ever  knew  was  a  damned  rascal,  and  I'm 


12          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

going  to  be  careful  about  this  one.  You  remember 
that  measly  — " 

"  There  is  no  question  about  Prince  Robin,"  said  she 
sharply. 

"  I  suppose  the  only  question  is,  how  much  will  he 
want?" 

"  You  mean  —  settlement?  " 

«  Sure." 

"  Have  you  no  romance  in  your  soul,  William  Blith- 
ers?" 

"  I  never  believed  in  fairy  stories,"  said  he  grimly. 
"  And  what's  more,  I  don't  take  any  stock  in  cheap 
novels  in  which  American  heroes  go  about  marrying 
into  royal  families  and  all  that  sort  of  rot.  It  isn't 
done,  Lou.  If  you  want  to  marry  into  a  royal  family 
you've  got  to  put  up  the  coin." 

"  Prince  Robin's  mother,  the  poor  Princess  Yetive, 
married  an  American  for  love,  let  me  remind  you." 

"  Umph !     Where  is  this  Groostock  anyway  ?  " 

"  '  Somewhere  east  of  the  setting  sun,'  "  she  quoted. 
"  You  must  learn  how  to  pronounce  it." 

"I  never  was  good  at  foreign  languages.  By  the 
way,  where  is  Maud  this  afternoon  ?  " 

"  Motoring." 

He  waited  for  additional  information.  It  was  not 
vouchsafed,  so  he  demanded  somewhat  fearfully: 

"Who  with?" 

"Young  Scoville." 

He  scowled.  "  He's  a  loafer,  Lou.  No  good  in  the 
world.  I  don't  like  the  way  you  let  — " 


THE  BLITHERS  DISCUSS  MATRIMONY      13 

"  He  is  of  a  very  good  family,  my  dear.     I  — " 

"  Is  he  —  er  = —  in  love  with  her?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"Good  Lord!" 

"  And  why  not  ?  Isn't  every  one  she  meets  in  love 
with  her?  " 

"I  —  I  suppose  so,"  he  admitted  sheepishly.  His 
face  brightened.  "  And  there's  no  reason  why  this 
Prince  shouldn't  fall  heels  over  head,  is  there?  Well, 
there  you  are !  That  will  make  a  difference  in  the  set- 
tlement, believe  me  —  a  difference  of  a  couple  of  mil* 
lions  at  least,  if  — " 

She  arose  abruptly.  "  You  are  positively  disgust- 
ing, Will.  Can't  you  think  of  anything  but  — " 

"  Say,  ain't  that  Maudie  coming  up  the  drive  nowf 
Sure  it  is !  By  gracious,  did  you  ever  see  anything  to 
beat  her  ?  She's  got  'em  all  beat  a  mile  when  it  comes 
to  looks  and  style  and  —  Oh,  by  the  way,"  lowering 
his  voice  to  a  hoarse,  confidential  whisper,  " —  1 
wouldn't  say  anything  to  her  about  the  marriage  just 
yet  if  I  were  you.  I  want  to  look  him  over  first." 


CHAPTER     II 

TWO    COUNTRIES    DISCUSS    MARRIAGE 

ROBIN  of  Graustark  was  as  good-looking  a 
chap  as  one  would  see  in,  a  week's  journey.  Little 
would  one  suspect  him  of  being  the  descendant  of  a 
long  and  distinguished  line  of  princes,  save  for  the  un- 
mistakeable  though  indefinable  something  in  his  eye 
that  exacted  rather  than  invited  the  homage  of  his 
fellow  man.  His  laugh  was  a  free  and  merry  one,  his 
spirits  as  effervescent  as  wine,  his  manner  blithe  and 
boyish;  yet  beneath  all  this  fair  and  guileless  exposi- 
tion of  carelessness  lay  the  sober  integrity  of  caste. 
It  looked  out  through  the  steady,  unswerving  eyes, 
even  when  they  twinkled  with  mirth;  it  met  the  gaze 
of  the  world  with  a  serene  imperiousness  that  gave  way 
before  no  mortal  influence;  it  told  without  boastful- 
ness  a  story  of  centuries.  For  he  was  the  son  of  a 
princess  royal,  and  the  blood  of  ten  score  rulers  of 
men  had  come  down  to  him  as  a  heritage  of  strength. 
His  mother,  the  beautiful,  gracious  and  lamented 
Yetive,  set  all  royal  circles  by  the  ears  when  she  mar- 
ried the  American,  Lorry,  back  in  the  nineties.  A 
special  act  of  the  ministry  had  legalised  this  union 
and  the  son  of  the  American  was  not  deprived  of  his 
right  to  succeed  to  the  throne  which  his  forebears  had 
occupied  for  centuries.  From  his  mother  he  had  in- 
herited the  right  of  kings,  from  his  father  the  spirit  of 

14 


TWO  COUNTRIES  DISCUSS  MARRIAGE      15 

freedom;  from  his  mother  the  power  of  majesty,  from 
his  father  the  power  to  see  beyond  that  majesty. 
When  little  more  than  a  babe  in  arms  he  was  orphaned 
and  the  affairs  of  state  fell  upon  the  shoulders  of  three 
r  loyal  and  devoted  men  who  served  as  regents  until  he 
became  of  age. 

Wisely  they  served  both  him  and  the  people  through 
the  years  that  intervened  between  the  death  of  the 
Princess  and  her  consort  and  the  day  when  he  reached 
his  majority.  That  day  was  a  glorious  one  in  Graus- 
tark.  The  people  worshipped  the  little  Prince  when 
he  was  in  knickerbockers  and  played  with  toys ;  they 
saw  him  grow  to  manhood  with  hearts  that  were  full  of 
hope  and  contentment ;  they  made  him  their  real  ruler 
with  the  same  joyous  spirit  that  had  attfmded  him  in 
the  days  when  he  sat  in  the  great  throne  and  "  made 
believe  "  that  he  was  one  of  the  mighty,  despite  the 
fact  that  his  little  legs  barely  reached  to  the  edge  of 
the  gold  and  silver  seat, —  and  slept  soundly  through 
all  the  befuddling  sessions  of  the  cabinet.  He  was 
seven  when  the  great  revolt  hoaded  by  Count  Marlanx 
came  so  near  to  overthrowing  the  government,  and  he 
behaved  like  the  Prince  that  he  was.  It  was  during 
those  perilous  times  that  he  came  to  know  the  gallant 
Truxton  King  in  whose  home  he  was  now  a  happy 
guest.  But  before  Truxton  King  he  knew  the  lovely 
girl  who  became  the  wife  of  that  devoted  adventurer, 
and  who,  to  him,  was  always  to  be  "  Aunt  Loraine." 

As  a  very  small  boy  he  had  paid  two  visits  to  the 
homeland  of  his  father,  but  after  the  death  of  his  par- 


16          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

ents  his  valuable  little  person  was  guarded  so  jealously 
by  his  subjects  that  not  once  had  he  set  foot  beyond 
the  borders  of  Graustark,  except  on  two  widely  sepa- 
rated occasions  of  great  pomp  and  ceremony  at  the 
courts  of  Vienna  and  St.  Petersburgh,  and  a  secret 
journey  to  London  when  he  was  seventeen.  (It  ap- 
pears that  he  was  determined  to  see  a  great  football 
match.)  On  each  of  these  occasions  he  was  attended 
by  watchful  members  of  the  cabinet  and  certain  mili- 
tary units  in  the  now  far  from  insignificant  standing 
army.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  witnessed  the  football 
match  from  the  ordinary  stands,  surrounded  by  thou- 
sands of  unsuspecting  Britons,  but  carefully  wedged  in 
between  two  generals  of  his  own  army  and  flanked  by; 
a  minister  of  police,  a  minister  of  the  treasury  and  a 
minister  of  war,  all  of  whom  were  excessively  bored  by 
the  contest  and  more  or  less  appalled  by  his  unregal 
enthusiasm.  He  had  insisted  on  going  to  the  match 
incog,  to  enjoy  it  for  all  it  was  worth  to  the  real  spec- 
tators —  those  who  sit  or  stand  where  the  compression 
is  not  unlike  that  applied  to  a  box  of  sardines. 

The  regency  expired  when  he  was  twenty  years 
of  age,  and  he  became  ruler  in  fact,  of  himself  as  well 
as  of  the  half -million  subjects  who  had  waited  pa- 
tiently for  the  great  day  that  was  to  see  him  crowned 
and  glorified.  Not  one  was  there  in  that  goodly  half 
million  who  stood  out  against  him  on  that  triumphant 
day ;  not  one  who  possessed  a  sullen  or  resentful  heart. 
He  was  their  Prince,  and  they  loved  him  well.  After 
that  wonderful  coronation  day  he  would  never  forget 


TWO  COUNTRIES  DISCUSS  MARRIAGE      17 

that  he  was  a  Prince  or  that  the  hearts  of  a  half  mil- 
lion were  to  throb  with  love  for  him  so  long  as  he  was 
man  as  well  as  Prince. 

Mr.  Blithers  was  very  close  to  the  truth  when  he 
said  (to  himself,  if  you  remember)  that  the  financial 
situation  in  the  far-off  principality  was  not  all  that 
could  be  desired.  It  is  true  that  Graustark  was  in 
Russia's  debt  to  the  extent  of  some  twenty  million 
gavvos, —  about  thirty  millions  of  dollars,  in  other 
words, —  and  that  the  day  of  reckoning  was  very  near 
at  hand.  The  loan  was  for  a  period  of  twelve  years, 
and  had  been  arranged  contrary  to  the  advice  of  John 
Tullis,  an  American  financier  who  long  had  been  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  of  the  principality  through  friend- 
ship for  the  lamented  Prince  Consort,  Lorry.  He 
had  been  farsighted  enough  to  realise  that  Russia 
would  prove  a  hard  creditor,  even  though  she  may  have 
been  sincere  in  her  protestations  of  friendship  for  the 
modest  borrower. 

A  stubborn  element  in  the  cabinet  overcame  his  op- 
position, however,  and  the  debt  was  contracted,  taxa- 
tion increased  by  popular  vote  and  a  period  of  gov- 
ernmental thriftiness  inaugurated.  Railroads,  high- 
ways, bridges  and  aqueducts  were  built,  owned  andi 
controlled  by  the  state,  and  the  city  of  Edelweiss  re- 
built after  the  devastation  created  during  the  revolt  of 
Count  Marlanx  and  his  minions.  There  seemed  to  be 
some  prospect  of  vindication  for  the  ministry  and 
Tullis,  who  lived  in  Edelweiss,  was  fair-minded  enough 
to  admit  that  their  action  appeared  to  have  been  for 


18  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

the  best.  The  people  had  prospered  and  taxes  were 
paid  in  full  and  without  complaint.  The  reserve  fund 
grew  steadily  and  surely  and  there  was  every  prospect 
that  when  the  huge  debt  came  due  it  would  be  paid  in 
cash.  But  on  the  very  crest  of  their  prosperity  came 
adversity.  For  two  years  the  crops  failed  and  a  pesti-  j 
lence  swept  through  the  herds.  The  flood  of  gavvos 
that  had  been  pouring  into  the  treasury  dwindled  into 
a  pitiful  rivulet;  the  little  that  came  in  was  applied, 
of  necessity,  to  administration  purposes  and  the  main- 
tenance of  the  army,  and  there  was  not  so  much  as  a 
penny  left  over  for  the  so-called  sinking  fund. 

A  year  of  grace  remained.  The  minister  of  finance 
had  long  since  recovered  from  the  delusion  that  it 
would  be  easy  to  borrow  from  England  or  France  to 
pay  the  Russians,  there  being  small  prospect  of  a  re- 
newal by  the  Czar  even  for  a  short  period  at  a  higher 
rate  of  interest.  The  great  nations  of  Europe  made 
it  plain  to  the  little  principality  that  they  would  noi> 
put  a  finger  in  Russia's  pie  at  this  stage  of  the  game. 
Russia  was  ready  to  go  to  war  with  her  great  neigh- 
bour, Austria.  Diplomacy  —  caution,  if  you  willy — * 
made  it  imperative  that  other  nations  should  sit  tight 
and  look  to  their  own  knitting,  so  to  say.  Not  one 
could  afford  to  be  charged  with  befriending,  even  in  a 
round-about  way,  either  of  the  angry  grumblers. 

It  was  only  too  well  known  in  diplomatic  circles 
that  Russia  coveted  the  railroads  of  Graustark,  as  a 
means  of  throwing  troops  into  a  remote  and  almost 
impregnable  portion  of  Austria.  If  the  debt  were 


TWO  COUNTRIES  DISCUSS  MARRIAGE      19 

paid  promptly,  it  would  be  impossible,  according  to 
international  law,  for  the  great  White  Bear  to  take 
over  these  roads  and  at  least  a  portion  of  the  western 
border  of  the  principality.  Obviously,  Austria  would 
be  benefitted  by  the  prompt  lifting  of  the  debt,  but 
her  own  relations  with  Russia  were  so  strained  that  an 
offer  to  come  to  the  rescue  of  Graustark  would  be 
taken  at  once  as  an  open  affront  and  vigorously  re- 
sented. Her  hands  were  tied. 

The  northern  and  western  parts  of  Graustark  were 
rich  with  productive  mines.  The  government  had 
built  railroads  throughout  these  sections  so  that  the 
yield  of  coal  and  copper  might  be  given  an  outlet  to 
the  world  at  large.  In  making  the  loan,  Russia  had 
demanded  these  prosperous  sections  as  security  for  the 
vast  sum  advanced,  and  Graustark  in  an  evil  hour  had 
submitted,  little  suspecting  the  trick  that  Dame  Na- 
ture was  to  play  in  the  end. 

Private  banking  institutions  in  Europe  refused  to 
make  loans  under  the  rather  exasperating  circum- 
stances, preferring  to  take  no  chances.  Money  was 
not  cheap  in  these  bitter  days,  neither  in  Europe  nor 
America.  Caution  was  the  watchword.  A  vast  Eu- 
ropean war  was  not  improbable,  despite  the  sincere 
efforts  on  the  part  of  the  various  nations  to  keep  out 
of  the  controversy. 

Nor  was  Mr.  Blithers  far  from  right  in  his  shrewd 
surmise  that  Prince  Robin  and  his  agents  were  not 
without  hope  in  coming  to  America  at  this  particular 
time.  Graustark  had  laid  by  barely  half  the  amount 


20  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

required  to  lift  the  debt  to  Russia.  It  was  not  beyond 
the  bounds  of  reason  to  expect  her  Prince  to  secure 
the  remaining  fifteen  millions  through  private  sources 
in  New  York  City. 

Six  weeks  prior  to  his  arrival  in  New  York,  the 
young  Prince  landed  in  San  Francisco.  He  had  come! 
by  way  of  the  Orient,  accompanied  by  the  Chief  of 
Staff  of  the  Graustark  Army,  Count  Quinnox, — 
hereditary  watch-dog  to  the  royal  family !  —  and  A 
young  lieutenant  of  the  guard,  Boske  Dank.  Two 
men  were  they  who  would  have  given  a  thousand  lives 
in  the  service  of  their  Prince.  No  less  loyal  was  the 
body-servant  who  looked  after  the  personal  wants  of 
the  eager  young  traveller,  an  Englishman  of  the  name 
of  Hobbs.  A  very  poor  valet  was  he,  but  an  excep- 
tionally capable  person  when  it  came  to  the  checking 
of  luggage  and  the  divining  of  railway  time-tables. 
He  had  been  an  agent  for  Cook's.  It  was  quite  impos- 
sible to  miss  a  train  that  Hobbs  suspected  of  being 
the  right  one. 

Prince  Robin  came  unheralded  and  traversed  the 
breadth  of  the  continent  without  attracting  more  than 
the  attention  that  is  bestowed  upon  good-looking 
young  men.  Like  his  mother,  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century  before,  he  travelled  incognito.  But  where  she 
had  used  the  somewhat  emphatic  name  of  Guggen- 
slocker,  he  was  known  to  the  hotel  registers  as  "  Mr. 
R.  Schmidt  and  servant." 

There  was  romance  in  the  eager  young  soul  of 
Prince  Robin.  He  revelled  in  the  love  story  of  his 


TWO  COUNTRIES  DISCUSS  MARRIAGE      21 

parents.  The  beautiful  Princess  Yetive  first  saw 
Grenfell  Lorry  in  an  express  train  going  eastward 
from  Denver.  Their  wonderful  romance  was  born, 
so  to  speak,  in  a  Pullman  compartment  car,  and  it 
thrived  so  splendidly  that  it  almost  upset  a  dynasty, 
for  never  —  in  all  of  nine  centuries  —  had  a  ruler 
of  Graustark  stooped  to  marriage  with  a  com- 
moner. 

And  so  when  the  far-sighted  ministry  and  House  of 
Nobles  in  Graustark  set  about  to  select  a  wife  for 
their  young  ruler,  they  made  overtures  to  the  Prince 
of  Dawsbergen  whose  domain  adjoined  Graustark 
on  the  south.  The  Crown  Princess  of  Dawsbergen, 
then  but  fifteen,  was  the  unanimous  choice  of  the 
amiable  match-makers  in  secret  conclave.  This  was 
when  Robin  was  seventeen  and  just  over  being  fatu- 
ously in  love  with  his  middle-aged  instructress  in 
French. 

The  Prince  of  Dawsbergen  despatched  an  embassy; 
of  noblemen  to  assure  his  neighbour  that  the  match 
would  be  highly  acceptable  to  him  and  that  in  proper 
season  the  betrothal  might  be  announced.  But  alack ! 
both  courts  overlooked  the  fact  that  there  was  inde- 
pendent American  blood  in  the  two  young  people. 
Neither  the  Prince  of  Graustark  nor  the  Crown  Prin- 
cess of  Dawsbergen, —  whose  mother  was  a  Miss  Bev- 
erly Calhoun  of  Virginia, —  was  disposed  to  listen  to 
the  voice  of  expediency ;  in  fact,  at  a  safe  distance 
of  three  or  four  hundred  miles,  the  youngsters  figu- 
ratively turned  up  their  noses  at  rach  other  and 


22  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

frankly  confessed  that  they  hated  each  other  and 
Wouldn't  be  bullied  into  getting  married,  no  matter 
•what  anybody  said,  or  something  of  the  sort. 

"  S'pose  I'm  going  to  say  I'll  marry  a  girl  I've  never 
seen  ? "  demanded  seventeen-year-old  Robin,  full  of 
wrath.  "  Not  I,  my  lords.  I'm  going  to  look  about 
a  bit,  if  you  don't  mind.  The  world  is  full  of  girls. 
I'll  marry  the  one  I  happen  to  want  or  I'll  not  marry 
at  all."  " 

"  But,  highness,"  they  protested,  "  you  must  listen 
to  reason.  There  must  be  a  successor  to  the  throne  of 
Graustark.  You  would  not  have  the  name  die  with 
you.  The  young  Princess  is  — " 

"  Is  fifteen  you  say,"  he  interrupted  loftily.  "  Come 
around  in  ten  years  and  we'll  talk  it  over  again.  But 
I'm  not  going  to  pledge  myself  to  marry  a  child  in 
short  frocks,  name  or  no  name.  Is  she  pretty  ?  " 

The  lords  did  not  know.  They  had  not  seen  the 
young  lady. 

"  If  she  is  pretty  you'd  be  sure  to  know  it,  my 
lords,  so  we'll  assume  she  isn't.  I  saw  her  when  she 
was  three  years  old,  and  she  certainly  was  a  fright 
when  she  cried,  and,  my  lords,  she  cried  all  the  time. 
No,  I'll  not  marry  her.  Be  good  enough  to  say  to 
the  Prince  of  Dawsbergen  that  I'm  very  much  obliged 
to  him,  but  it's  quite  out  of  the  question." 

And  the  fifteen-year-old  Crown  Princess,  four  hun- 
dred  miles  away,  coolly  informed  her  doting  parents 
that  she  was  tired  of  being  a  Princess  anyway  and 
very  much  preferred  marrying  some  one  who  lived  in 


TWO  COUNTRIES  DISCUSS  MARRIAGE     28 

a  cottage.  In  fine,  she  stamped  her  little  foot  and 
said  she'd  jump  into  the  river  before  she'd  marry  the 
Prince  of  Graustark. 

"  But  he's  a  very  handsome,  adorable  boy,"  began 
her  mother. 

"And  half -American  just  as  you  are,  my  child," 
put  in  her  father  encouragingly.  "  Nothing  could 
be  more  suitable  than  — " 

"  I  don't  intend  to  marry  anybody  until  I'm  thirty 
at  least,  so  that  ends  it,  daddy, —  I  mean,  your  poor 
old  highness." 

"  Naturally  we  do  not  expect  you  to  be  married 
before  you  are  out  of  short  frocks,  my  dear,"  said 
Prince  Dantan  stiffly.  "  But  a  betrothal  is  quite  an- 
other thing.  It  is  customary  to  arrange  these  mar- 
riages years  before  — " 

"  Is  Prince  Robin  in  love  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  —  ahem !  —  that's  a  very  silly  question.  He 
hasn't  seen  you  since  you  were  a  baby.  But  he  will 
]be  in  love  with  you,  never  fear." 

*'  He  may  be  in  love  with  some  one  else,  for  all  we 
know,  so  where  do  I  come  in?  " 

"  Come  in  ?  "  gasped  her  father. 

"  She's  part  American,  dear,"  explained  the  mother, 
with  her  prettiest  smile. 

"  Besides,"  said  the  Crown  Princess,  with  finality, 
"  I'm  not  even  going  to  be  engaged  to  a  man  I've 
never  seen.  And  if  you  insist,  I'll  run  away  as  sure 
as  anything." 

And  so  the  matter  rested.     Five  years  have  passed 


M  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

since  the  initial  overtures  were  made  by  the  two  courts, 
and  although  several  sly  attempts  were  made  to  bring 
the  young  people  to  a  proper  understanding  of  their 
case,  they  aroused  nothing  more  than  scornful  laughter 
on  the  part  of  the  belligerents,  as  the  venerable  Baron 
Dangloss  was  wont  to  call  them,  not  without  pride 
in  his  sharp  old  voice. 

"  It  all  comes  from  mixing  the  blood,"  said  the 
Prime  Minister  gloomily. 

"  Or  improving  it,"  said  the  Baron,  and  was  frowned 
upon. 

And  no  one  saw  the  portentous  shadow  cast  by  the 
slim  daughter  of  William  W.  Blithers,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  neither  Graustark  nor  Dawsbergen  knew 
that  it  existed.  They  lived  in  serene  ignorance  of  the 
fact  that  God,  while  he  was  about  it,  put  Maud  Apple- 
gate  Blithers  into  the  world  on  precisely  the  same  day 
that  the  Crown  Princess  of  Dawsbergen  first  saw  the 
light  of  day. 

On  the  twenty-second  anniversary  of  his  birth, 
Prince  Robin  fared  forth  in  quest  of  love  and  romance, 
not  without  hope  of  adventure,  for  he  was  a  valorous 
chap  with  the  heritage  of  warriors  in  his  veins.  Said 
he  to  himself  in  dreamy  contemplation  of  the  long 
journey  ahead  of  him:  "I  will  traverse  the  great 
highways  that  my  mother  trod  and  I  will  look  for  the 
Golden  Girl  sitting  by  the  wayside.  She  must  be 
there,  and  though  it  is  a  wide  world,  I  am  young  and 
my  eyes  are  sharp.  I  will  find  her  sitting  at  the  road- 
side eager  for  me  to  come,  not  housed  in  a  gloomy 


TWO  COUNTRIES  DISCUSS  MARRIAGE      25 

castle  surrounded  by  the  spooks  of  a  hundred  ancestors, 
They  who  live  in  castles  wed  to  hate  and  they  who  wed 
at  the  roadside  live  to  love.  Fortune  attend  me !  If 
love  lies  at  the  roadside  waiting,  do  not  let  me  pass  it 
by.  All  the  princesses  are  not  inside  the  castles. 
Some  sit  outside  tbe  gates  and  laugh  with  glee,  foi» 
love  is  their  companion.  So  away  I  go,  la,  la !  looking 
for  the  princess  with  the  happy  heart  and  the  smiling 
lips !  It  is  a  wide  world  but  my  eyes  are  sharp.  I 
shall  find  my  princess." 

But,  alas,  for  his  fine  young  dream,  he  found  no 
Golden  Girl  at  the  roadside  nor  anything  that  sug- 
gested romance.  There  were  happy  hearts  and  smil- 
ing lips  —  and  all  for  him,  it  would  appear  —  but 
he  passed  them  by,  for  his  eyes  were  sharp  and  his 
wits  awake.  And  so,  at  last,  he  came  to  Gotham,  his 
heart  as  free  as  the  air  he  breathed,  confessing  that 
his  quest  had  been  in  vain.  History  failed  to  repeat 
itself.  His  mother's  romance  would  stand  alone  and 
shine  without  a  flicker  to  the  end  of  time.  There 
could  be  no  counterpart. 

"  Well,  I  had  the  fun  of  looking,"  he  philosophised 
(to  himself,  for  no  man  knew  of  his  secret  project) 
and  grinned  with  a  sort  of  amused  tolerance  for  the 
sentimental  side  of  his  nature.  "  I'm  a  silly  ass  to 
have  even  dreamed  of  finding  her  as  I  passed  along, 
and  if  I  had  found  her  what  the  deuce  could  I  have 
done  about  it  anyway?  This  isn't  the  day  for 
mediaeval  lady-snatching.  I  dare  say  I'm  just  as  well 
off  for  not  having  found  her.  I  still  have  the  zest 


26          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

for  hunting  farther,  and  there's  a  lot  in  that."  Then 
aloud :  "  Hobbs,  are  we  on  time  ?  " 

"We  are,  sir,"  said  Hobbs,  without  even  glancing 
at  his  watch.  The  train  was  passing  125th  Street. 
"  To  the  minute,  sir.  We  will  be  in  in  ten  minutes,  if 
nothing  happens.  Mr.  King  will  be  at  the  station 
to  meet  you,  sir.  Any  orders,  sir?  " 

"  Yes,  pinch  me,  Hobbs." 

"  Pinch  your  Highness  ?  "  in  amazement.  "  My 
word,  sir,  wot  — " 

"  I  just  want  to  be  sure  that  the  dream  is  over, 
Hobbs.  Never  mind.  You  needn't  pinch  me.  I'm 
awake,"  and  to  prove  it  he  stretched  his  fine  young 
body  in  the  ecstasy  of  realisation. 

That  night  he  slept  soundly  in  the  Catskills. 


CHAPTER    III 

MB.   BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING 

I  REPEAT  :  Prince  Robin  was  as  handsome  a  chap  as 
you'll  see  in  a  week's  journey.  He  was  just  under 
six  feet,  slender,  erect  and  strong  in  the  way  that  a 
fine  blade  is  strong.  His  hair  was  dark  and  straight, 
his  eyes  blue-black,  his  cheek  brown  and  ruddy  with 
the  health  of  a  life  well-ordered.  Nose,  mouth  and 
chin  were  clean-cut  and  indicative  of  power,  while  his 
brow  was  broad  and  smooth,  with  a  surface  so  serene 
that  it  might  have  belonged  to  a  woman.  At  first 
glance  you  would  have  taken  him  for  a  healthy,  eager 
American  athlete,  just  out  of  college,  but  that  afore- 
mentioned seriousness  in  his  deep-set,  thoughtful  eyes 
would  have  caused  you  to  think  twice  before  pro- 
nouncing him  a  fledgling.  He  had  enjoyed  life,  he 
had  made  the  most  of  his  play-days,  but  always  there 
had  hung  over  his  young  head  the  shadow  of  the  cross 
that  would  have  to  be  supported  to  the  end  of  his 
reign,  through  thick  and  thin,  through  joy  and  sor- 
row, through  peace  and  strife. 

He  saw  the  shadow  when  he  was  little  more  than  a 
baby ;  it  was  like  a  figure  striding  beside  him  always ; 
it  never  left  him.  He  could  not  be  like  other  boys, 
for  he  was  a  prince,  and  it  was  a  serious  business  being 
a  prince!  A  thousand  times,  as  a  lad,  he  had  wished 

that  he  could  have  a  few  "  weeks  off  "  from  being  what 

31 


28          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

he  was  and  be  just  a  common,  ordinary,  harum  scarum 
boy,  like  the  "  kids  "  of  Petrove,  the  head  stableman. 
He  would  even  have  put  up  with  the  thrashings  they 
got  from  their  father,  just  for  the  sake  of  enjoying  the 
mischief  that  purchased  the  punishment.  But  alas! 
no  one  would  ever  dream  of  giving  him  the  lovely 
"  tannings "  that  other  boys  got  when  they  were 
naughty.  Such  joys  were  not  for  him;  he  was  mildly 
reproved  and  that  was  all.  But  his  valiant  spirit 
found  release  in  many  a  glorious  though  secret  encoun- 
ter with  boys  both  large  and  small,  and  not  infre- 
quently he  sustained  severe  pummelings  at  the  hands  of 
plebeians  who  never  were  quite  sure  that  they  wouldn't 
be  beheaded  for  obliging  him  in  the  matter  of  a 
"  scrap,"  but  who  fought  like  little  wild-cats  while  they 
were  about  it.  They  were  always  fair  fights,  for  he 
fought  as  a  boy  and  not  as  a  prince.  He  took  his 
lickings  like  a  prince,  however,  and  his  victories  like  a 
boy.  The  one  thing  he  wanted  to  do  above  all  others 
was  to  play  foot-ball.  But  they  taught  him  fencing, 
riding,  shooting  and  tennis  instead,  for,  said  they, 
foot-ball  is  only  to  be  looked-at,  not  played, —  fine 
argument,  said  Robin ! 

Be  that  as  it  may,  he  was  physically  intact  and 
bodily  perfect.  He  had  no  broken  nose,  smashed  ribs, 
stiff  shoulder  joints  or  weak  ankles,  nor  was  he  tooth- 
less. In  all  his  ambitious  young  life  he  had  never 
achieved  anything  more  enduring  than  a  bloody  nose, 
a  cracked  lip  or  a  purple  eye,  and  he  had  been  com- 
pelled to  struggle  pretty  hard  for  even  those  blessings. 


MR.  BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING          29 

And  to  him  the  pity  of  it  all  was  that  he  was  as  hard 
as  nails  and  as  strong  as  a  bullock  —  a  sad  waste,  if 
one  were  to  believe  him  in  his  bitter  lamentations. 

Toward  the  end  of  his  first  week  at  Red  Roof,  the 
summer  home  of  the  Truxton  Kings,  he  might  have 
been  found  on  the  broad  lawn  late  one  afternoon, 
playing  tennis  with  his  hostess,  the  lovely  and  viva- 
cious "  Aunt  Loraine."  To  him,  Mrs.  King  would 
always  be  "  Aunt  Loraine,"  even  as  he  would  never  be 
anything  but  Bobby  to  her. 

She  was  several  years  under  forty  and  as  light  and 
active  as  a  young  girl.  Her  smooth  cheek  glowed 
with  the  happiness  and  thrill  of  the  sport,  and  he 
was  hard  put  to  hold  his  own  against  her,  even  though 
she  insisted  that  he  play  his  level  best. 

Truxton  King,  stalwart  and  lazy,  lounged  on  the 
turf,  umpiring  the  game,  attended  by  two  pretty  young 
girls,  a  lieutenant  in  flannels  and  the  ceremonious 
(Count  Quinnox,  iron  grey  and  gaunt-faced  battleman 
with  the  sabre  scars  on  his  cheek  and  the  bullet  wound 
in  his  side. 

t(  Good  work,  Rainie,"  shouted  the  umpire  as  his 
wife  safely  placed  the  ball  far  out  of  her  opponent's 
reach. 

"  Hi ! "  shouted  Robin,  turning  on  him  with  a  scowl. 
*'  You're  not  supposed  to  cheer  anybody,  d'  you  under- 
stand? You're  only  an  umpire." 

"  Outburst  of  excitement,  Kid,"  apologised  the  um- 
pire complacently.  "  Couldn't  help  it.  Forty  thirty.. 
Get  busy." 


80 

"  He  called  him  '  kid,*  "  whispered  one  of  the  young 
girls  to  the  other. 

"  Well  I  heard  the  Prince  call  Mr.  King  <  Truck  ' 
a  little  while  ago,"  whispered  the  other. 

"  Isn't  he  good-looking?  "  sighed  the  first  one. 

They  were  sisters,  very  young,  and  lived  in  the  cot- 
tage across  the  road  with  their  widowed  mother. 
Their  existence  was  quite  unknown  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Blithers,  although  the  amiable  Maud  was  rather  nice 
to  them.  She  had  once  picked  them  up  in  her  automo- 
bile when  she  encountered  them  walking  to  the  station. 
After  that  she  called  them  by  their  Christian  names 
and  generously  asked  them  to  call  her  Maud.  It 
might  appear  from  this  that  Maud  suffered  somewhat 
from  loneliness  in  the  great  house  on  the  hill.  The 
Felton  girls  had  known  Robin  a  scant  three-quarters 
of  an  hour  and  were  deeply  in  love  with  him.  Fannie 
was  eighteen  and  Nellie  but  little  more  than  sixteen. 
He  was  their  first  Prince. 

"  Whee-ee ! "  shrilled  Mrs.  King,  going  madly  after 
a  return  that  her  opponent  had  lobbed  over  the  net. 
She  missed. 

"  Deuce,"  said  her  husband  laconically.  A  servant 
was  crossing  the  lawn  with  a  tray  of  iced  drinks.  As 
he  neared  the  recumbent  group  he  paused  irresolutely 
and  allowed  his  gaze  to  shift  toward  the  road  below. 
Then  he  came  on  and  as  he  drew  alongside  the  inter- 
ested umpire  he  leaned  over  and  spoke  in  a  low  tone 
of  voice. 

"What?"  demanded  King,  squinting. 


MR.  BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING          31 

**  Just  coming  in  the  gate,  sir,"  said  the  footman. 

King  shot  a  glance  over  his  shoulder  and  then  sat 
ap  in  astonishment. 

"  Good  Lord !  Blithers !  What  the  deuce  can  he 
be  doing  here?  I  say,  Loraine!  Hi!" 

"  Vantage  in,"  cried  his  pretty  wife,  dashing  a 
stray  lock  from  her  eyes. 

Mr.  King's  astonishment  was  genuine.  It  might 
better  have  been  pronounced  bewilderment.  Mr. 
Blithers  was  paying  his  first  visit  to  Red  Roof.  Up 
to  this  minute  it  is  doubtful  if  he  ever  had  accorded 
it  so  much  as  a  glance  of  interest  in  passing.  He 
bowed  to  King  occasionally  at  the  station,  but  that 
was  all. 

But  now  his  manner  was  exceedingly  friendly  as  he 
advanced  upon  the  group.  One  might  have  been  par- 
cloned  for  believing  him  to  be  a  most  intimate  friend 
of  the  family  and  given  to  constantly  dropping  in 
at  any  and  all  hours  of  the  day. 

The  game  was  promptly  interrupted.  It  would  not 
be  far  from  wrong  to  say  that  Mrs.  King's  pretty 
mouth  was  open  not  entirely  as  an  aid  to  breathing. 
She  couldn't  believe  her  eyes  as  she  slowly  abandoned 
her  court  and  came  forward  to  meet  their  advancing 
visitor. 

"  Take  my  racket,  dear,"  she  said  to  one  of  the 
Feltons.  It  happened  to  be  Fannie  and  the  poor  child 
almost  fainted  with  joy. 

The  Prince  remained  in  the  far  court,  idly  twirling 
his  racket. 


32          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Afternoon,  King,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  doffing  his 
panama  —  to  fan  a  heated  brow.  "  Been  watching 
the  game  from  the  road  for  a  spell.  Out  for  a  stroll. 
Couldn't  resist  running  in  for  a  minute.  You  play 
a  beautiful  game,  Mrs.  King.  How  do  you  do! 
Pretty  hot  work  though,  isn't  it  ?  " 

He  was  shaking  hands  with  King  and  smiling  ge- 
nially upon  the  trim,  panting  figure  of  the  Prince's 
adversary. 

"  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said  King,  still 
staring.  "  You  —  you  know  my  wife  ?  " 

Mr.  Blithers  ignored  what  might  have  been  re- 
garded as  an  introduction,  and  blandly  announced  that 
tennis  wasn't  a  game  for  fat  people,  patting  his  some- 
what aggressive  extension  in  mock  dolefulness  as  he 
«poke. 

"  You  should  see  my  daughter  play,"  he  went  on, 
scarcely  heeding  Mrs.  King's  tactless  remark  that  she 
affected  the  game  because  she  had  a  horror  of  get- 
ing  fat.  "  Corking,  she  is,  and  as  quick  as  a  cat.  Got 
a  medal  at  Lakewood  last  spring.  I'll  fix  up  a  match 
soon,  Mrs.  King,  between  you  and  Maud.  Ought  to  be 
worth  going  miles  to  see,  eh,  King?  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  afraid,  Mr.  Blithers,  that  I  am  not  in 
your  daughter's  class,"  said  Loraine  King,  much  too 
innocently. 

"  We've  got  a  pretty  fair  tennis  court  up  at  Blith- 
erwood,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  calmly.  "I  have  a  pro- 
fessional instructor  up  every  week  to  play  with  Maud, 
can  trim  most  of  the  amateurs  so  — " 


MR.  BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING          3S 

"  May  I  offer  you  a  drink  of  some  kind,  Mr. 
Blithers  ?  "  asked  King,  recovering  his  poise  to  some 
extent.  "  We  are  having  lemonades,  but  perhaps 
you'd  prefer  something — " 

"  Lemonade  will  do  for  me,  thanks,"  said  the  visi- 
tor affably.  "  We  ought  to  run  in  on  each  other  a 
little  more  often  than  —  thanks!  By  jove,  it  looks 
refreshing.  Your  health,  Mrs.  King.  Too  bad  to 
drink  a  lady's  health  in  lemonade  but  —  the  senti- 
ment's the  same." 

He  was  looking  over  her  shoulder  at  the  bounding 
Prince  in  the  far  court  as  he  spoke,  and  it  seemed 
that  he  held  his  glass  a  trifle  too  high  in  proposing 
the  toast. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Blithers,"  mumbled  King. 
"  Permit  me  to  introduce  Count  Quinnox  and  Lieuten- 
ant Dank."  Both  of  the  foreigners  had  arisen  and 
were  standing  very  erect  and  soldierly  a  few  yards 
away.  "  You  know  Miss  Felton,  of  course." 

"  Delighted  to  meet  you,  Count,"  said  Mr.  Blithers, 
advancing  with  outstretched  hand.  He  shook  the 
hand  of  the  lieutenant  with  a  shade  less  energy.  "  En- 
joying the  game?  " 

"  Immensely,"  said  the  Count.  "  It  is  rarely  played 
eo  well." 

Mr.  Blithers  affected  a  most  degage  manner, 
squinting  carelessly  at  the  Prince. 

"  That  young  chap  plays  a  nice  game.  Who  is 
he?  " 

The  two  Graustarkians  stiffened  perceptibly,  and 


S4  THE  PRINCE  OE  GRAUSTARK 

waited  for  King  to  make  the  revelation  to  his  visitor. 

"  That's  Prince  Robin  of  — "  he  began  but  Mr. 
Blithers  cut  him  short  with  a  genial  wave  of  the  hand. 

"  Of  course,"  he  exclaimed,  as  if  annoyed  by  his 
own  stupidity.  "  I  did  hear  that  you  were  entertain- 
ing a  Prince.  Slipped  my  mind,  however.  Well, 
well,  we're  coming  up  in  the  world,  eh?  —  having  a 
real  nabob  among  us."  He  hesitated  for  a  moment. 
"  But  don't  let  me  interrupt  the  game,"  he  went  on, 
as  if  expecting  King  to  end  the  contest  in  order  to 
present  the  Prince  to  him. 

"  Won't  you  sit  down,  Mr.  Blithers  ?  "  said  Mrs. 
King.  "  Or  would  you  prefer  a  more  comfortable 
chair  on  the  porch  ?  We  — " 

"  No,  thanks,  I'll  stay  here  if  you  don't  mind,"  said 
he  hastily,  and  dragged  up  the  camp  chair  that  Lieu- 
tenant Dank  had  been  occupying. 

"  Fetch  another  chair,  Lucas,"  said  King  to  the 
servant.  "  And  another  glass  of  lemonade  for  Miss 
Felton." 

"  Felton  ?  "  queried  Mr.  Blithers,  sitting  down  very 
carefully  on  the  rather  fragile  chair,  and  hitching  up 
his  white  flannel  trousers  at  the  knees  to  reveal  a  pair 
of  purple  socks,  somewhat  elementary  in  tone. 

"  We  know  your  daughter,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said  lit- 
tle Miss  Nellie  eagerly. 

"I  was  just  trying  to  remember — " 

"  We  live  across  the  road  —  over  there  in  the  little 
white  house  with  the  ivy  — " 

*' — where   I'd   heard   the   name,"    proceeded   Mr. 


MR.  BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING         35 

Blithers,  still  looking  at  the  Prince.  "  By  jove,  I 
should  think  my  daughter  and  the  Prince  would  make 
a  rattling  good  match.  I  mean,"  he  added,  with  a 
boisterous  laugh,  "  a  good  match  at  tennis.  We'll 
have  to  get  'em  together  some  day,  eh,  up  at  Blither- 
wood.  How  long  is  the  Prince  to  be  with  you,  Mrs. 
King?  " 

"  It's  rather  uncertain,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said  she,  and 
no  more. 

Mr.  Blithers  fanned  himself  in  patience  for  a  mo- 
ment or  two.  Then  he  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  Getting  along  toward  dinner-time  up  our  way," 
he  ventured.  Everybody  seemed  rather  intent  on  the 
game,  which  was  extremely  one-sided. 

"  Good  work ! "  shouted  King  as  Fannie  Felton 
managed  to  return  an  easy  service. 

Lieutenant  Dank  applauded  vigorously.  "  Splen- 
did !  "  he  cried  out.  "  Capitally  placed !  " 

'*  They  speak  remarkably  good  English,  don't 
they?  "  said  Mr.  Blithers  in  an  audible  aside  to  Mrs. 
King.  "  Beats  the  deuce  how  quickly  they  pick  it 
up." 

She  smiled.  "  Officers  in  the  Graustark  army  are 
required  to  speak  English,  French  and  German,  Mr. 
Blithers." 

"  It's  a  good  idea,"  said  he.  "  Maud  speaks 
French  and  Italian  like  a  native.  She  was  educated 
in  Paris  and  Rome,  you  know.  Fact  is,  she's  lived 
abroad  a  great  deal." 

"Is  she  at  home  now,  Mr.  Blithers?" 


36          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARE 

"  Depends  on  what  you'd  call  home,  Mrs.  King. 
We've  got  so  many  I  don't  know  just  which  is  the  real 
one.  If  you  mean  Blitherwood,  yes,  she's  there. 
Course,  there's  our  town  house  in  Madison  Avenue,  the 
place  at  Newport,  one  at  Nice  and  one  at  Pasadena 
—  California,  you  know  —  and  a  little  shack  in  Lon- 
don. By  the  way,  my  wife  says  you  live  quite  near 
our  place  in  New  York." 

"  We  live  in  Madison  Avenue,  but  it's  a  rather  long 
street,  Mr.  Blithers.  Just  where  is  your  house  ?  "  she 
inquired,  rather  spitefully. 

He  looked  astonished.  "  You  surely  must  knoW 
where  the  Blithers  house  is  at  — " 

"  Game  1 "  shrieked  Fannie  Felton,  tossing  her 
racket  in  the  air,  a  victor. 

"  They're  through,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  in  a  tone  of 
relief.  He  shifted  his  legs  and  put  his  hands  on  his 
knees,  suggesting  a  readiness  to  arise  on  an  instant's- 
notice. 

"  Shall  we  try  another  set?  "  called  out  the  Prince. 

"  Make  it  doubles,"  put  in  Lieutenant  Dank,  and 
turned  to  Nellie.  "  Shall  we  take  them  on  ?  " 

And  doubles  it  was,  much  to  the  disgust  of  Mr. 
Blithers.  He  sat  through  the  nine  games,  manifest- 
ing an  interest  he  was  far  from  feeling,  and  then  —  as 
dusk  fell  across  the  valley  —  arose  expectantly  with 
the  cry  of  "  game  and  set."  He  had  discoursed  freely 
on  the  relative  merits  of  various  motor  cars,  stoutly 
maintaining  that  the  one  he  drove  was  without  ques- 
tion the  best  in  the  market  (in  fact,  there  wasn't  an- 


MR.  BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING         37 

other  "  make  "  that  he  would  have  as  a  gift) ;  the 
clubs  he  belonged  to  in  New  York  were  the  only  ones 
that  were  worth  belonging  to  (he  wouldn't  be  caught 
dead  in  any  of  the  others)  ;  his  tailor  was  the  only 
tailor  in  the  country  who  knew  how  to  make  a  decent 
looking  suit  of  clothes  (the  rest  of  them  were  "  the 
limit  ")  ;  the  Pomeranian  that  he  had  given  his  daugh- 
ter was  the  best  dog  of  its  breed  in  the  world  (he 
was  looking  at  Mrs.  King's  Pomeranian  as  he  made  the 
remark)  ;  the  tennis  court  at  Blitherwood  was  pro- 
nounced by  experts  to  be  the  finest  they'd  ever  seen 
• —  and  so  on  and  so  on,  until  the  long-drawn-out  set 
was  ended. 

To  his  utter  amazement,  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
game,  the  four  players  made  a  dash  for  the  house 
without  even  so  much  as  a  glance  in  his  direction.  It 
was  the  Prince  who  shouted  something  that  sounded 
like  "  now  for  a  shower ! "  as  he  raced  up  the  terrace, 
followed  by  the  other  participants. 

Mr.  Blithers  said  something  violent  under  his 
breath,  but  resolutely  retained  his  seat.  It  was  King 
who  glanced  slyly  at  his  watch  this  time,  and  subse- 
quently shot  a  questioning  look  at  his  wife.  She  was 
frowning  in  considerable  perplexity,  and  biting  her 
firm  red  lips.  Count  Quinnox  coolly  arose  and  excused 
himself  with  the  remark  that  he  was  off  to  dress  for 
dinner.  He  also  looked  at  his  watch,  which  certainly 
was  an  act  that  one  would  hardly  have  expected  of  a 
diplomat. 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  profoundly.     Then 


38  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

he  looked  at  his  own  watch  —  and  settled  back  in  his 
chair,  a  somewhat  dogged  compression  about  his  jaws. 
He  was  not  the  man  to  be  thwarted.  "  You  certainly 
have  a  cosy  little  place  here,  King,"  he  remarked  after 
a  moment  or  two. 

"  We  like  it,"  said  King,  twiddling  his  fingers  be- 
hind his  back.  "  Humble  but  homelike." 

"  Mrs.  Blithers  has  been  planning  to  come  over  for 
some  time,  Mrs.  King.  I  told  her  she  oughtn't  to  put 
it  off  —  be  neighbourly,  don't  you  know.  That's  me. 
I'm  for  being  neighbourly  with  my  neighbours.  But 
women,  they  —  well,  you  know  how  it  is,  Mrs.  King. 
Always  something  turning  up  to  keep  'em  from  doing 
the  things  they  want  to  do  most.  And  Mrs.  Blithers 
has  so  many  sociable  obli  —  I  beg  pardon  ?  " 

"  I  was  just  wondering  if  you  would  stay  and  have 
dinner  with  us,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said  she,  utterly  help- 
less. She  couldn't  look  her  husband  in  the  eye  —  and 
it  was  quite  fortunate  that  she  was  unable  to  do  so, 
for  it  would  have  resulted  in  a  laughing  duet  that 
could  never  have  been  explained. 

"  Why,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  arising  and  looking  af; 
his  watch  again,  "  bless  my  soul,  it  is  past  dinner  time, 
isn't  it?  I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  late.  Ton  my  soul, 
it's  good  of  you,  Mrs.  King.  You  see,  we  have  dinner 
at  seven  up  at  Blitherwood  and  —  I  declare  it's  half- 
past  now.  I  don't  see  where  the  time  has  gone. 
Thanks,  I  will  stay  if  you  really  mean  to  be  kind  to  a 
poor  old  beggar.  Don't  do  anything  extra  on  my. 
account,  though,  just  your  regular  dinner,  you  know. 


MR.  BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING         39 

No  frills,  if  you  please."  He  looked  himself  over 
in  some  uncertainty.  "  Will  this  rag  of  mine  do?  " 

"  We  shan't  notice  it,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said  she,  and 
he  turned  the  remark  over  in  his  mind  several  times 
as  he  walked  beside  her  toward  the  house.  Somehow 
it  didn't  sound  just  right  to  him,  but  for  the  life 
of  him  he  couldn't  tell  why.  "  We  are  quite  simple 
folk,  you  see,"  she  went  on  desperately,  making  note 
of  the  fact  that  her  husband  lagged  behind  like  the 
coward  he  was.  "  Red  Roof  is  as  nothing  compared 
to  Blitherwood,  with  its  army  of  servants  and  — " 

Mr.  Blithers  magnanimously  said  "  Pooh ! "  and, 
continuing,  remarked  that  he  wouldn't  say  exactly  how 
many  they  employed  but  he  was  sure  there  were  not 
more  than  forty,  including  the  gardeners.  "  Besides," 
he  added  gallantly,  **  what  is  an  army  of  servants  com- 
pared to  the  army  of  Grasstock?  You've  got  the  real 
article,  Mrs.  King,  so  don't  you  worry.  But,  I  say, 
if  necessary,  I  can  telephone  up  to  the  house  and  have 
a  dress  suit  sent  down.  It  won't  take  fifteen  minutes, 
Lou  —  er  —  Mrs.  Blithers  always  has  'em  laid  out 
for  me,  in  case  of  an  emergency,  and  — " 

"  Pray  do  not  think  of  it,"  she  cried.  "  The  men 
change,  of  course,  after  they've  been  playing  tennis, 
but  we  —  we  —  well,  you  see,  you  haven't  been  play- 
ing," she  concluded,  quite  breathlessly. 

At  that  instant  the  sprightly  Feltons  dashed  pell 
mell  down  the  steps  and  across  the  lawn  homeward, 
shrieking  something  unintelligible  to  Mrs.  King  as 
they  passed. 


40          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"Rather  skittish,"  observed  Mr.  Blithers,  glaring 
after  them  disapprovingly. 

"  They  are  dears,'*  said  Mrs.  King. 

"  The  —  er  —  Prince  attracted  by  either  one  of 
'em?  "  he  queried. 

"  He  barely  knows  them,  Mr.  Blithers." 

"  I  see.  Shouldn't  think  they'd  appeal  to  him. 
Rather  light,  I  should  say  —  I  mean  up  here,"  and 
he  tapped  his  forehead  so  that  she  wouldn't  think  that 
he  referred  to  pounds  and  ounces.  "  I  don't  believe 
Maud  knows  'em,  as  the  little  one  said.  Maud  is 
rather  = — " 

"  It  is  possible  they  have  mistaken  some  one  else 
for  your  daughter,"  said  she  very  gently. 

"  Impossible,"  said  he  with  force. 

"  They  are  coming  back  here  to  dinner,"  she  said, 
and  her  eyes  sparkled  with  mischief.  "  I  shall  put 
you  between  them,  Mr.  Blithers.  You  will  find  that 
they  are  very  bright,  attractive  girls." 

"We'll  see,"  said  he  succinctly. 

King  caught  them  up  at  the  top  of  the  steps.  He 
seemed  to  be  slightly  out  of  breath. 

"  Make  yourself  at  home,  Mr.  Blithers.  I  must 
get  into  something  besides  these  duds  I'm  wearing," 
he  said.  "  Would  you  like  to  —  er  —  wash  up  while 
we're  — " 

"  No,  thanks,"  interposed  Mr.  Blithers.  "  I'm  as 
clean  as  a  whistle.  Don't  mind  me,  please.  Run 
along  and  dress,  both  of  you.  I'll  sit  out  here  and  — 


MR.  BLITHERS  GOES  VISITING          41 

count  the  minutes,"  the  last  with  a  very  elaborate 
bow  to  Mrs.  King. 

"  Dinner's  at  half-past  eight,"  said  she,  and  disap* 
peared.  Mr.  Blithers  recalled  his  last  glance  at  his 
watch,  and  calculated  that  he  would  have  at  least 
fifty  minutes  to  count,  provided  dinner  was  served 
promptly  on  the  dot. 

"  You  will  excuse  me  if  I  leave  you  — " 

"  Don't  mention  it,  old  man,"  said  the  new  guest, 
rather  more  curtly  than  he  intended.  "  I'll  take  it 
easy." 

"  Shall  I  have  the  butler  telephone  to  Blitherwood 
to  say  that  you  won't  be  home  to  dinner  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  better  if  he  were  to  say  that  I  wasn't 
home  to  dinner,"  said  Mr.  Blithers.  "  It's  over  by 
this  time." 

"  Something  to  drink  while  you're  — " 

"  No,  thanks.     I  can  wait,"  and  he  sat  down. 

"  You  don't  mind  my  — *' 

«  Not  at  all." 

Mr.  Blithers  settled  himself  in  the  big  porch  chair 
and  glowered  at  the  shadowy  hills  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  valley.  The  little  cottage  of  the  Feltons 
came  directly  in  his  line  of  vision.  He  scowled  more 
deeply  than  before.  At  the  end  of  fifteen  minutes 
he  started  up  suddenly  and,  after  a  quick  uneasy 
glance  about  him,  started  off  across  the  lawn,  walking 
more  rapidly  than  was  his  wont. 

He  had  remembered  that  his  chauffeur  was  waiting 


42          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

for  him  with  the  car  just  around  a  bend  in  the  road  — 
and  had  been  waiting  for  two  hours  or  more. 

"  Go  home,"  he  said  to  the  man.  "  Come  back  at 
twelve.  And  don't  use  the  cut-out  going  up  that  hill, 
.either." 

Later  on,  he  met  the  Prince.  Very  warmly  he  shook 
{the  tall  young  man's  hand, —  he  even  gave  it  a  pro- 
phetic second  squeeze, —  and  said: 

"  I  am  happy  to  welcome  you  to  the  Catskills, 
iPrince." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Prince  Robin. 


"  A  MOST  extraordinary  person,"  said  Count  Quinnox 
to  King,  after  Mr.  Blithers  had  taken  his  departure, 
dose  upon  the  heels  of  the  Feltons  who  were  being^ 
escorted  home  by  the  Prince  and  Dank.  The  ven- 
erable Graustarkian's  heroic  face  was  a  study.  He 
had  just  concluded  a  confidential  hour  in  a  remote 
corner  of  the  library  with  the  millionaire  while  the 
younger  people  were  engaged  in  a  noisy  though  tem- 
perate encounter  with  the  roulette  wheel  at  the  op- 
posite end  of  the  room.  "  I've  never  met  any  one  like 
him,  Mr.  King."  He  mopped  his  brow,  and  still 
looked  a  trifle  dazed. 

King  laughed.  "  There  isn't  any  one  like  him, 
Count.  He  is  the  one  and  only  Blithers." 

"  He  is  very  rich?  " 

"Millions  and  millions,"  said  Mrs.  King, 
"  Didn't  he  tell  you  how  many?  " 

"  I  am  not  quite  sure.  This  daughter  of  his  —  ia 
she  attractive?  " 

"Rather.     Why?" 

"  He  informed  me  that  her  dot  would  be  twenty 
millions  if  she  married  the  right  man.  Moreover,  she 
is  his  only  heir.  'Pon  my  soul,  Mrs.  King,  he  quite 
took  my  breath  away  when  he  announced  that  he 

knew  all  about  our  predicament  in  relation  to  the 

43 


34  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

Russian  loan.  It  really  sounded  quite  —  you  might 
say  significant.  Does  —  does  he  imagine  that  — 
good  heaven,  it's  almost  stupefying ! " 

King  smoked  in  silence  for  many  seconds.  There 
was  a  pucker  of  annoyance  on  his  wife's  fair  brow 
as  she  stared  reflectively  through  the  window  at  the 
distant  lights  of  Blitherwood,  far  up  the  mountain 
Bide. 

"  Sounds  ominous  to  me,"  said  King  drily.  "  Is 
Bobby  for  sale?" 

The  Count  favoured  him  with  a  look  of  horror. 
"  My  dear  Mr.  King ! "  Then  as  comprehension 
came,  he  smiled.  "  I  see.  No,  he  isn't  for  sale.  He 
is  a  Prince,  not  a  pawn.  Mr.  Blithers  may  be  willing 
to  buy  but — "  he  proudly  shook  his  head. 

"  He  was  feeling  you  out,  however,"  said  King,  ru- 
minating. "  Planting  the  seed,  so  to  speak." 

"  There  is  a  rumour  that  she  is  to  marry  Count 
Lannet,"  said  his  wife.  "  A  horrid  creature.  There 
was  talk  in  the  newspapers  last  winter  of  an  Italian 
iduke.  Poor  girl!  From  what  I  hear  of  her,  she  is 
rather  a  good  sort,  sensible  and  more  genuinely  Ameri- 
can in  her  tastes  than  might  be  expected  after  her 
bringing-up.  And  she  is  pretty." 

"  How  about  this  young  Scoville,  Rainie?  " 

"  He's  a  nice  boy  but  —  he'll  never  get  her.  She 
is  marked  up  too  high  for  him.  He  doesn't  possess 
so  much  as  the  title  to  an  acre  of  land." 

"  Extraordinary,  the  way  you  Americans  go  after 
our  titles,"  said  the  Count  good-naturedly. 


PROTECTING  THE  BLOOD  45 

"  No  more  extraordinary  than  the  way  you  Euro- 
peans go  after  our  money,"  was  her  retort. 

"  I  don't  know  which  is  the  cheaper,  titles  or  money, 
in  these  days,"  said  King.  "  I  understand  one  can  get 
a  most  acceptable  duke  for  three  or  four  millions,  a 
nice  marquis  or  count  for  half  as  much,  and  a  Sir  on 
tick."  He  eyed  the  Count  speculatively.  "  Of 
course  a  prince  of  the  royal  blood  comes  pretty  high." 

"  Pretty  high,"  said  the  Count  grimly.  He 
seemed  to  be  turning  something  over  in  his  mind. 
"  Your  amazing  Mr.  Blithers  further  confided  to  me 
that  he  might  be  willing  to  take  care  of  the  Russian 
obligation  for  us  if  no  one  else  turns  up  in  time.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  without  waiting  for  my  reply,  he 
said  that  he  would  have  his  lawyers  look  into  the 
matter  of  security  at  once.  I  was  somewhat  dazed, 
but  I  think  he  said  that  it  would  be  no  trouble  at  all 
for  him  to  provide  the  money  himself  and  he  would 
be  glad  to  accommodate  us  if  we  had  no  other  plan  in 
mind.  Amazing,  amazing !  " 

"  Of  course,  you  told  him  it  was  not  to  be  consid- 
ered," said  King  sharply. 

"  I  endeavoured  to  do  so,  but  I  fear  he  did  not 
grasp  what  I  was  saying.  Moreover,  I  tried  to  tell 
him  that  it  was  a  matter  I  was  not  at  liberty  to  dis- 
cuss. He  didn't  hear  that,  either." 

"  He  is  not  in  the  habit  of  hearing  any  one  but 
himself,  I  fear,"  said  King. 

"  I  am  afraid  poor  Robin  is  in  jeopardy,"  said  hia 
wife,  ruefully.  "  The  Bogieman  is  after  him." 


46  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

**  Does  the  incomprehensible  creature  imagine  — * 
began  the  Count  loudly,  and  then  found  it  necessary  to 
pull  his  collar  away  from  his  throat  as  if  to  save  him- 
self from  immediate  strangulation. 

"  Mr.  Blithers  is  not  blessed  with  an  imagination, 
Count,"  said  she.  "  He  doesn't  imagine  anything." 

"  If  he  should  presume  to  insult  our  Prince  by  — " 
grated  the  old  soldier,  very  red  in  the  face  and 
erect  — "  if  he  should  presume  to  — "  Words  failed 
him  and  an  instant  later  he  was  laughing,  but  some- 
what uncertainly,  with  his  amused  host  and  hostess. 

Mr.  Blithers  reached  home  in  high  spirits.  His 
wife  was  asleep,  but  he  awoke  her  without  ceremony. 

"  I  say,  Lou,  wake  up.  Got  some  news  for  you. 
We'll  have  a  prince  in  the  family  before  you  can  say 
'Jack  Robinson." 

She  sat  up  in  bed,  blinking  with  dismay.  *'  In 
heaven's  name,  Will,  what  have  you  been  doing? 
What  have  you  been  — " 

"Cutting  bait,"  said  he  jovially.  "In  a  day  or 
two  I'll  throw  the  hook  in,  and  you'll  see  what  I  land. 
He's  as  good  as  caught  right  now,  but  we'll  let  him 
nibble  a  while  before  we  jerk.  And  say,  he's  a  corker, 
Lou.  Finest  young  fellow  I've  seen  in  many  a  day. 
He—" 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  —  you  actually 
said  anything  to  him  about  —  about  —  Oh,  my  God, 
Will,  don't  tell  me  that  you  were  crazy  enough  to  — ** 
cried  the  poor  woman,  almost  in  tears. 

"  Now  cool  down,  cool  down,"  he  broke  in  sooth- 


PROTECTING  THE  BLOOD  471 

ingly.  "  I'm  no  fool,  Lou.  Trust  me  to  do  the  fine 
work  in  a  case  like  this.  Sow  the  right  kind  of  seeds 
and  you'll  get  results  every  time.  I  merely  dropped 
a  few  hints,  that's  all, —  and  in  the  right  direction, 
believe  me.  Count  Equinox  will  do  the  rest.  I'll 
bet  my  head  we'll  have  this  prince  running  after  Maud 
so—" 

"What  did  you  say?"  she  demanded.  There  was 
a  fine  moisture  on  her  upper  lip.  He  sat  down  on 
the  edge  of  the  bed  and  talked  for  half  an  hour  with- 
out interruption.  When  he  came  to  the  end  of  his 
oration,  she  turned  over  with  her  face  to  the  wall  and 
fairly  sobbed:  "What  will  the  Kings  think  of  us? 
What  will  they  think?  " 

"  Who  the  dickens  cares  what  the  Kings  think  ?  '* 
he  roared,  perfectly  aghast  at  the  way  she  took  it. 
"  Who  are  the  Kings?  Tell  me  that !  who  are  they?  }* 

"I  —  I  can't  bear  to  talk  about  it.     Go  to  bed." 

He  wiped  his  brow  helplessly.  "  You  beat  anything 
I've  ever  seen.  What's  the  matter  with  you?  Don't 
you  want  this  prince  for  Maud?  Well,  then,  what 
the  deuce  are  you  crying  about?  You  said  you 
wanted  him,  didn't  you?  Well,  I'm  going  to  get  him. 
If  I  say  I'll  do  a  thing,  you  can  bet  your  last  dollar 
I'll  do  it.  That's  the  kind  of  a  man  William  W* 
Blithers  is.  You  leave  it  to  me.  There's  only  one 
way  to  land  these  foreign  noblemen,  and  I'm  — " 

She  faced  him  once  more,  and  angrily.  "  Listen  to 
me,"  she  said.  "  I've  had  a  talk  with  Maud.  She 
has  gone  to  bed  with  a  splitting  headache  and  I'm 


48          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

not  surprised.  Don't  you  suppose  the  poor  child  has 
a  particle  of  pride?  She  guessed  at  once  just  what 
you  had  gone  over  there  for  and  she  cried  her  eyes 
out.  Now  she  declares  she  will  never  be  able  to  look 
the  Prince  in  the  face,  and  as  for  the  Kings  —  Oh, 
it's  sickening.  Why  can't  you  leave  these  things  to 
me?  You  go  about  like  a  bull  in  a  china  shop.  You 
might  at  least  have  waited  until  the  poor  child  had  an 
opportunity  to  see  the  man  before  rushing  in  with 
your  talk  about  money.  She — " 

"  Confound  it,  Lou,  don't  blame  me  for  everything. 
We  all  three  agreed  at  lunch  that  he  was  a  better  bar- 
gain than  this  measly  count  we've  been  considering. 
Maud  says  she  won't  marry  the  count,  anyhow,  and 
she  did  say  that  if  this  prince  was  all  that  he's  cracked 
up  to  be,  she  wouldn't  mind  being  the  Princess  of 
Groostock.  You  can't  deny  that,  Lou.  You  heard 
her  say  it.  You  — " 

"  She  didn't  say  Groostock,"  said  his  wife  shortly. 
"  And  you  forget  that  she  said  she  wouldn't  promise 
anything  until  she'd  met  him  and  decided  whether 
she  liked  him." 

"  She'll  like  him  all  right,"  said  he  confidently. 

"  She  will  refuse  to  even  meet  him,  if  she  hears  of 
your  silly  blunder  to-night." 

"  Refuse  to  meet  him  ?  "  gasped  Mr.  Blithers. 

"  I  may  be  able  to  reason  with  her,  Will,  but  —  but 
she's  stubborn,  as  well  you  know.  I'm  afraid  you've 
spoiled  everything." 

His  face  brightened.     Lowering  his  voice  to  a  half« 


PROTECTING  THE  BLOOD  49 

whisper,  he  said :  "  We  needn't  tell  her  what  I  said 
to  that  old  chap,  Lou.  Just  let  her  think  I  sat  around 
like  a  gump  and  never  said  a  word  to  anybody.  We 
can  — " 

"  But  she'll  pin  you  down,  Will,  and  you  know  y»ui 
can't  lie  with  a  straight  face." 

*  "Maybe  —  maybe  I'd  better  run  down  to  Ne.v 
York  for  a  few  days,"  he  muttered  unhappily.  "  Yo»  i 
can  square  it  better  than  I  can." 

"  In  other  words,  I  can  lie  with  a  straight  face,^ 
she  said  ironically. 

"  I  never  thought  she'd  balk  like  this,"  said  he< 
ignoring  the  remark. 

"  I  fancy  you'd  better  go  to  New  York,"  she  saidf 
mercilessly. 

"  I've  got  business  there  anyhow,"  muttered  he, 
"  I  —  I  think  I'll  go  before  she's  up  in  the  morning.'f 

"  You  can  save  yourself  a  bad  hour  or  two  if  you 
leave  before  breakfast,"  said  she  levelly. 

"  Get  around  her  some  way,  Lou,"  he  pleaded. 
**  Tell  her  I'm  sorry  I  had  to  leave  so  early,  and  — ' 
and  that  I  love  her  better  than  anything  on  earth,  and 
that  I'll  be  back  the  end  of  the  week.  If  —  if  she 
wants  anything  in  New  York,  just  have  her  wire  me. 
•You  say  she  cried?  " 

"  She  did,  and  I  don't  blame  her." 

Mr.  Blithers  scowled.  "  Well  —  well,  you  see  if 
you  can  do  any  better  than  I  did.  Arrange  it  some- 
how for  them  to  meet.  She'll  —  she'll  like  him  and 
then  —  by  George,  she'll  thank  us  both  for  the  inter- 


50          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

est  we  take  in  her  future.  It  wouldn't  surprise  me  if 
she  fell  in  love  with  him  right  off  the  reel.  And  you 
may  be  sure  he'll  fall  in  love  with  her.  He  can't  help 
it.  The  knowledge  that  she'll  have  fifty  millions  some 
day  won't  have  anything  to  do  with  his  feeling  for 
her,  once  he — " 

"  Don't  mention  the  word  millions  again,  Will  Blith- 
ers." 

"  All  right,"  said  he,  more  humbly  than  he  knew. 
"  But  listen  to  this,  old  girl ;  I'm  going  to  get  this 
prince  for  her  if  it's  the  last  act  of  my  life.  I  never 
failed  in  anything  and  I  won't  fail  in  this." 

"  Well,  go  to  bed,  dear,  and  don't  worry.  I  may 
be  able  to  undo  the  mischief.  It  —  it  isn't  hopeless, 
of  course." 

"  I'll  trust  you,  Lou,  to  do  your  part.  Count  on 
me  to  do  mine  when  the  time  comes.  And  I  still  in- 
sist that  I  have  sowed  the  right  sort  of  seed  to-night. 
You'll  see.  Just  wait." 

Sure  enough,  Mr.  Blithers  was  off  for  New  York 
soon  after  daybreak  the  next  morning,  and  with  him 
went  a  mighty  determination  to  justify  himself  before 
the  week  was  over.  His  wily  brain  was  working  as  it 
had  never  worked  before. 

Two  days  later,  Count  Quinnox  received  a  message 
from  New  York  bearing  the  distressing  information 
that  the  two  private  banking  institutions  on  which  he 
had  been  depending  for  aid  in  the  hour  of  trouble  had 
decided  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  make 
the  loan  under  consideration.  The  financial 


PROTECTING  THE  BLOOD  51 

who  had  been  operating  in  behalf  of  the  Graustark 
government  confessed  that  they  were  unable  to  explain 
the  sudden  change  of  heart  on  the  part  of  the  bankers, 
inasmuch  as  the  negotiations  practically  had  been 
closed  with  them.  The  decision  of  the  directors  was 
utterly  incomprehensible  under  the  circumstances. 

Vastly  disturbed,  Count  Quinnox  took  the  first  train 
to  New  York,  accompanied  by  Truxton  King,  who 
was  confident  that  outside  influences  had  been  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  situation,  influences  inimical  to 
Graustark.  Both  were  of  the  opinion  that  Russia  had 
something  to  do  with  it,  although  the  negotiations 
had  been  conducted  with  all  the  secrecy  permissible 
in  such  cases. 

"  We  may  be  able  to  get  to  the  banks  through 
Blithers,"  said  King. 

"  How  could  he  possibly  be  of  assistance  to  ii«  ?  "  the 
Count  inquired. 

"  He  happens  to  be  a  director  in  both  concerns, 
besides  being  such  a  power  in  the  financial  world  that 
his  word  is  almost  law  when  it  comes  to  the  big  deals." 

All  the  way  down  to  the  city  Count  Quinnox  was 
thoughtful,  even  pre-occupied.  They  were  nearing 
the  Terminal  when  he  leaned  over  and,  laying  his  hand 
on  King's  knee,  said,  after  a  long  interval  of  silence 
between  them : 

"  I  suppose  you  know  that  Graustark  has  not  given 
up  hope  that  Prince  Robin  may  soon  espouse  the 
daughter  of  our  neighbour,  Dawsbergen." 

King  gave  him  a  queer  look.     "  By  jove,  that's 


52  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

odd.     I  was  thinking  of  that  very  thing  when  you 
spoke." 

"  The  union  would  be  of  no  profit  to  us  in  a  pe- 
cuniary way,  my  friend,"  explained  the  Count. 
"  Still  it  is  most  desirable  for  other  reasons.  Daws- 
bergen  is  not  a  rich  country,  nor  are  its  people  pro- 
gressive. The  reigning  house,  however,  is  an  old  one 
and  rich  in  traditions.  Money,  my  dear  King,  is 
not  everything  in  this  world.  There  are  some  things 
it  cannot  buy.  It  is  singularly  ineffective  when  op- 
posed to  an  honest  sentiment.  Even  though  the 
young  Princess  were  to  come  to  Graustark  without  a 
farthing,  she  would  still  be  hailed  with  the  wildest 
acclaim.  We  are  a  race  of  blood  worshippers,  if  I 
may  put  it  in  that  way.  She  represents  a  force  that 
has  dominated  our  instincts  for  a  great  many  cen- 
turies, and  we  are  bound  hand  and  foot,  heart  and  soul, 
by  the  so-called  fetters  of  imperialism.  We  are  fierce 
men,  but  we  bend  the  knee  and  we  wear  the  yoke  be- 
cause the  sword  of  destiny  is  in  the  hand  that  drives 
us.  To-day  we  are  ruled  by  a  prince  whose  sire  was 
not  of  the  royal  blood.  I  do  not  say  that  we  deplore 
this  infusion,  but  it  behooves  us  to  protect  the  original 
strain.  We  must  conserve  our  royal  blood.  Our 
prince  assumes  an  attitude  of  independence  that  we 
find  difficult  to  overcome.  He  is  prepared  to  defy  an 
old  precedent  in  support  of  a  new  one.  In  other 
words,  he  points  out  the  unmistakably  happy  union  of 
his  own  mother,  the  late  Princess  Yetive,  and  the 
American  Lorry,  and  it  is  something  we  cannot  go 


PROTECTING  THE  BLOOD  53 

behind.  He  declares  that  his  mother  set  an  example 
that  he  may  emulate  without  prejudice  to  his  country 
if  he  is  allowed  a  free  hand  in  choosing  his  mate. 

"  But  we  people  of  Graustark  cannot  look  with 
complaisance  on  the  possible  result  of  his  search  for  a 
sharer  of  the  throne.  Traditions  must  be  upheld — • 
or  we  die.  True,  the  Crown  Princess  of  Dawsbergen 
has  American  blood  in  her  veins  but  her  sire  is  a  prince 
royal.  Her  mother,  as  you  know,  was  an  American 
girl.  She  who  sits  on  the  throne  with  Robin  must  be 
a  princess  by  birth  or  the  grip  on  the  sword  of  des- 
tiny is  weakened  and  the  dynasty  falters.  I  know 
what  is  in  your  mind.  You  are  wondering  why  our! 
Prince  should  not  wed  one  of  your  fabulously  rich 
American  girls  — " 

"  My  dear  Count,"  said  King  warmly,  "  I  am  not 
thinking  anything  of  the  sort.  Naturally  I  am  op- 
posed to  your  pre-arranged  marriages  and  all  that 
sort  of  thing,  but  still  I  appreciate  what  it  means  as 
a  safe-guard  to  the  crown  you  support.  I  sincerely 
hope  that  Robin  may  find  his  love-mate  in  the  small 
circle  you  draw  for  him,  but  I  fear  it  isn't  likely.  He 
is  young,  romantic,  impressionable,  and  he  abhors  the 
thought  of  marriage  without  love.  He  refuses  to  even 
consider  the  princess  you  have  picked  out  for  him. 
Time  may  prove  to  him  that  his  ideals  are  false  and 
he  may  resign  himself  to  the  —  I  was  about  to  say  the 
inevitable." 

"  Inevitable  is  the  word,  Mr.  King,"  said  Count 
Quinnox  grimly.  "  Ton  my  word,  sir,  I  don't  know 


54          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

what  our  princes  and  princesses  are  coming  to  in  these 
days.  There  seems  to  be  a  perfect  epidemic  of  inde- 
pendence among  them.  They  marry  whom  they  please 
in  spite  of  royal  command,  and  the  courts  of  Europe 
are  being  shorn  of  half  their  glory.  It  wouldn't  sur- 
prise me  to  see  an  American  woman  on  the  throne  of 
England  one  of  these  days.  'Gad,  sir,  you  know  what 
happened  in  Axphain  two  years  ago.  Her  crown 
prince  renounced  the  throne  and  married  a  French 
singer." 

"  And  they  say  he  is  a  very  happy  young  beggar,'* 
eaid  King  drily. 

"  It  is  the  prerogative  of  fools  to  be  happy,"  said 
Count  Quinnox. 

"  Not  so  with  princes,  eh  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  duty  with  princes,  Mr.  King." 

They  had  not  been  in  New  York  City  an  hour  be- 
fore they  discovered  that  William  W.  Blithers  was 
the  man  to  whom  they  would  have  to  appeal  if  they 
expected  to  gain  a  fresh  hearing  with  the  banks.  The 
agents  were  in  a  dismal  state  of  mind.  The  deal  had 
been  blocked  no  later  than  the  afternoon  of  the  day 
before  and  at  a  time  when  everything  appeared  to  be 
going  along  most  swimmingly.  Blithers  was  the  man 
to  see;  he  and  he  alone  could  bring  pressure  to  bear 
on  the  directorates  that  might  result  in  a  reconsidera- 
tion of  the  surprising  verdict.  Something  had 
happened  during  the  day  to  alter  the  friendly  at- 
titude of  the  banks ;  they  were  now  politely  reluctant, 
as  one  of  the  agents  expressed  it,  which  really  meant 


PROTECTING  THE  BLOOD  55 

that  opposition  to  the  loan  had  appeared  from  some 
unexpected  source,  as  a  sort  of  eleventh  hour  ob- 
stacle. The  heads  of  the  two  banks  had  as  much  as 
said  that  negotiations  were  at  an  end,  that  was  the 
long  and  short  of  it;  it  really  didn't  matter  what  was 
back  of  their  sudden  change  of  front,  the  fact  still 
remained  that  the  transaction  was  as  "  dead  as  a  door 
nail  "  unless  it  could  be  revived  by  the  magnetic  touch 
of  a  man  like  Blithers. 

"  What  can  have  happened  to  cause  them  to  change 
their  minds  so  abruptly?  "  cried  the  perplexed  Count. 
"  Surely  our  prime  minister  and  the  cabinet  have 
left  nothing  undone  to  convince  them  of  Graustark's 
integrity  and  — " 

"  Pardon  me,  Count,"  interrupted  one  of  the  brok- 
ers, "  shall  I  try  to  make  an  appointment  for  you 
with  Mr.  Blithers?  I  hear  he  is  in  town  for  a  few 
days." 

Count  Quinnox  looked  to  Truxton  King  for  in- 
spiration and  that  gentleman  favoured  him  with  a 
singularly  dis-spiriting  nod  of  the  head.  The  old 
Graustarkian  cleared  his  throat  and  rather  stiffly  an- 
nounced that  he  would  receive  Mr.  Blithers  if  he  would, 
call  on  him  at  the  Ritz  that  afternoon. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  both  agents,  half-starting  from 
their  chairs  in  amazement. 

The  Count  stared  hard  at  them.  "  You  may  say 
to  him  that  I  will  be  in  at  four." 

"  He'll  tell  you  to  go  to  —  ahem !  "  The  speaker 
coughed  just  in  time.  "  Blithers  isn't  in  the  habit  of 


56          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

going  out  of  his  way  to  —  to  oblige  anybody.  He 
wouldn't  do  it  for  the  Emperor  of  Germany." 

"  But,"  said  the  Count  with  a  frosty  smile,  "  I  am 
not  the  Emperor  of  Germany." 

"  Better  let  me  make  an  appointment  for  you  to  see 
him  at  his  office.  It's  just  around  the  corner.'* 
There  was  a  pleading  note  in  the  speaker's  voice. 

"  You  might  save  your  face,  Calvert,  by  saying 
that  the  Count  will  be  pleased  to  have  him  take  tea 
with  him  at  the  Ritz,"  suggested  King. 

"  Tea !  "  exclaimed  Calvert  scornfully.  "  Blithers 
doesn't  drink  the  stuff." 

"  It's  a  figure  of  speech,"  said  King  patiently. 

"  All  right,  I'll  telephone,"  said  the  other  dubiously. 

He  came  back  a  few  minutes  later  with  a  triumph- 
ant look  in  his  eye. 

"  Blithers  says  to  tell  Count  Quinnox  he'll  see  him 
to-morrow  morning  at  half-past  eight  at  his  office. 
Sorry  he's  engaged  this  afternoon." 

"  But  did  you  say  I  wanted  him  to  have  tea  with 
us ! "  demanded  the  Count,  an  angry  flush  leaping  to 
his  cheek. 

"  I  did.  I'm  merely  repeating  what  he  said  in  reply. 
Half-past  eight,  at  his  office,  Count.  Those  were  his 
words." 

"  It  is  the  most  brazen  exhibition  of  insolence  I've 
ever  — "  began  the  Count  furiously,  but  checked  him- 
self with  an  effort.  "  I  —  I  hope  you  did  not  say  that 
I  would  come,  sir !  " 

"  Yes.     It's  the  only  way  — " 


PROTECTING  THE  BLOOD  57 

"  Well,  be  good  enough  to  call  him  up  again  and 
say  to  him  that  I'll  —  I'll  see  him  damned  before 
I'll  come  to  his  office  to-morrow  at  eight-thirty  or  at 
any  other  hour."  And  with  that  the  Count  got  up 
and  stalked  out  of  the  office,  putting  on  his  hat  as  he 
did  so. 

"  Count,"  said  King,  as  they  descended  in  the  ele- 
vator, "  I've  got  an  idea  in  my  head  that  Blithers  will 
be  at  the  Ritz  at  four." 

"  Do  you  imagine,  sir,  that  I  will  receive  him  ?  " 

"  Certainly.     Are  you  not  a  diplomat  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  Minister  of  War,"  said  the  Count,  and 
his  scowl  was  an  indication  of  absolute  proficiency 
in  the  science. 

"  And  what's  more,"  went  on  King,  reflectively, 
*'  it  wouldn't  in  the  least  surprise  me  if  Blithers  is  the 
man  behind  the  directors  in  this  sudden  move  of  the 
banks." 

"  My  dear  King,  he  displayed  the  keenest  interest 
and  sympathy  the  other  night  at  your  house.  He  — " 

"  Of  course  I  may  be  wrong,"  admitted  King,  but 
his  brow  was  clouded. 

Shortly  after  luncheon  that  day,  Mrs.  Blithers  re- 
ceived a  telegram  from  her  husband.  It  merely  stated 
that  he  was  going  up  to  have  tea  with  the  Count 
at  four  o'clock,  and  not  to  worry  as  "  things  were 
shaping  themselves  nicely." 


PRINCE   ROBIN   IS    ASKED    TO    STAND    UP 

X.ATE  the  same  evening,  Prince  Robin,  at  Red  Roof, 
received  a  long  distance  telephone  communication  from 
New  York  City.  The  Count  was  on  the  wire.  He 
imparted  the  rather  startling  news  that  William  W. 
Blithers  had  volunteered  to  take  care  of  the  loan  out 
of  his  own  private  means !  Quinnox  was  cabling  the 
Prime  Minister  for  advice  and  would  remain  in  New: 
York  for  further  conference  with  the  capitalist,  who, 
it  was  to  be  assumed,  would  want  time  to  satisfy  him- 
self as  to  the  stability  of  Graustark's  resources. 

Robin  was  jubilant.  The  thought  had  not  entered 
his  mind  that  there  could  be  anything  sinister  in  this 
Amazing  proposition  of  the  great  financier. 

If  Count  Quinnox  himself  suspected  Mr.  Blithers  of 
an  ulterior  motive,  the  suspicion  was  rendered  doubt- 
ful by  the  evidence  of  sincerity  on  the  part  of  the 
capitalist  who  professed  no  sentiment  in  the  matter 
but  insisted  on  the  most  complete  indemnification  by 
the  Graustark  government.  Even  King  was  impressed 
by  the  absolute  fairness  of  the  proposition.  Mr. 
Blithers  demanded  no  more  than  the  banks  were  ask- 
ing for  in  the  shape  of  indemnity;  a  first  lien  mort-. 
gage  for  12  years  on  all  properties  owned  and  con- 
trolled by  the  government  and  the  deposit  of  all  bonds 


PRINCE  ROBIN  IS  ASKED  TO  STAND  UP     59 

held  by  the  people  with  the  understanding  that  the 
interest  would  be  paid  to  them  regularly,  less  a  small 
per  cent  as  commission.  His  protection  would  be  com- 
plete,—  for  the  people  of  Graustark  owned  fully  four- 
fifths  of  the  bonds  issued  by  the  government  for  the 
construction  of  public  service  institutions;  these  by 
consent  of  Mr.  Blithers  were  to  be  limited  to  three 
utilities:  railroads,  telegraph  and  canals.  These 
properties,  as  Mr.  Blithers  was  by  way  of  knowing, 
were  absolutely  sound  and  self-supporting.  Accord- 
ing to  his  investigators  in  London  and  Berlin,  they 
were  as  solid  as  Gibraltar  and  not  in  need  of  one- 
tenth  the  protection  required  by  the  famous  rock. 

Robin  inquired  whether  he  was  to  come  to  New 
York  at  once  in  relation  to  the  matter,  and  was  in- 
formed that  it  would  not  be  necessary  at  present. 
In  fact,  Mr.  Blithers  preferred  to  let  the  situation 
remain  in  statu  quo  (as  he  expressed  it  to  the  Count), 
until  it  was  determined  whether  the  people  were  will- 
ing to  deposit  their  bonds,  a  condition  which  was 
hardly  worth  while  worrying  about  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  they  had  already  signified  their  readiness  to 
present  them  for  security  in  the  original  proposition 
to  the  banks.  Mr.  Blithers,  however,  would  give  him- 
self the  pleasure  of  calling  upon  the  Prince  at  Red 
Roof  later  in  the  week,  when  the  situation  could  be 
discussed  over  a  dish  of  tea  or  a  cup  of  lemonade. 
That  is  precisely  the  way  Mr.  Blithers  put  it. 

The  next  afternoon  Mrs.  Blithers  left  cards  at 
Red  Roof  —  or  rather,  the  foot-man  left  them  —  and 


60          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARE 

on  the  day  following  the  Kings  and  their  guests  re- 
ceived invitations  to  a  ball  at  Blitherwood  on  the  en-« 
suing  Friday,  but  four  days  off.  While  Mrs.  King 
and  the  two  young  men  were  discussing  the  invitation 
the  former  was  called  to  the  telephone.  Mrs.  Blithers 
herself  was  speaking. 

"  I  hope  you  will  pardon  me  for  calling  you  up, 
Mrs.  King,  but  I  wanted  to  be  sure  that  you  can  come 
on  the  seventeenth.  We  want  so  much  to  have  the 
Prince  and  his  friends  with  us.  Mr.  Blithers  has 
taken  a  great  fancy  to  Prince  Robin  and  Count  Quin- 
nox,  and  he  declares  the  whole  affair  will  be  a  fiasco 
if  they  are  not  to  be  here." 

"  It  is  good  of  you  to  ask  us,  Mrs.  Blithers.  The 
Prince  is  planning  to  leave  for  Washington  within 
the  next  few  days  and  I  fear  — " 

"  Oh,  you  must  prevail  upon  him  to  remain  over,  my 
clear  Mrs.  King.  We  are  to  have  a  lot  of  people  up 
from  Newport  and  Tuxedo  —  you  know  the  crowd  — « 
it's  the  real  crowd  —  and  I'm  sure  he  will  en j  oy  meet- 
ing them.  Mr.  Blithers  has  arranged  for  a  special 
train  to  bring  them  up  —  a  train  de  luxe,  you  may  be 
sure,  both  as  to  equipment  and  occupant.  Zabo's 
orchestra,  too.  A  notion  seized  us  last  night  to  give 
the  ball,  which  accounts  for  the  short  notice.  It's 
the  way  we  do  everything  —  on  a  minute's  notice. 
I  think  they're  jollier  if  one  doesn't  go  through  the 
agony  of  a  month's  preparation,  don't  you?  Nearly 
every  one  has  wired  acceptance,  so  we're  sure  tp  have 


PRINCE  ROBIN  IS  ASKED  TO  STAND  UP     6l 

a  lot  of  nice  people.  Loads  of  girls, —  you  know 
the  ones  I  mean, —  and  Mr.  Blithers  is  trying  to  ar- 
range a  sparring  match  between  those  two  great  prize- 
fighters,—  you  know  the  ones,  Mrs.  King, —  just 
to  give  us  poor  women  a  chance  to  see  what  a  real 
man  looks  like  in  —  I  mean  to  say,  what  marvellous 
specimens  they  are,  don't  you  know.  Now  please  tell 
the  Prince  that  he  positively  cannot  afford  to  miss 
a  real  sparring  match.  Every  one  is  terribly  ex- 
cited over  it,  and  naturally  we  are  keeping  it  very 
quiet.  Won't  it  be  a  lark?  My  daughter  thinks 
it's  terrible,  but  she  is  finicky.  One  of  them  is  a  negro, 
isn't  he?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know." 

"  You  can  imagine  how  splendid  they  must  be  when 
I  tell  you  that  Mr.  Blithers  is  afraid  they  won't  come 
up  for  less  than  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  Isn't  it 
ridiculous?" 

"  Perfectly,"  said  Mrs.  King. 

"  Of  course,  we  shall  insist  on  the  Prince  receiving 
with  us.  He  is  our  piece  de  resistance.  You — " 

"I'm  sure  it  will  be  awfully  jolly,  Mrs.  Blithers. 
What  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  beg  pardon?  " 

"  I'm  sorry.  I  was  speaking  to  the  Prince.  He 
just  called  up  stairs  to  me." 

"  What  does  he  say?  " 

"  It  was  really  nothing.  He  was  asking  about 
Hobbs." 


62          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Hobbs?  Tell  him,  please,  that  if  h«  has  any 
friends  he  would  like  to  have  invited  we  shall  be  only 
too  proud  to — " 

"  Oh,  thank  you !     I'll  tell  him." 

u  You  must  not  let  him  go  away  before  — " 

"  I  shall  try  my  best,  Mrs.  Blithers.  It  is  awfully 
kind  of  you  to  ask  us  to  — " 

"  You  must  all  come  up  to  dinner  either  to-morrow 
night  or  the  night  after.  I  shall  be  so  glad  if  you 
will  suggest  anything  that  can  help  us  to  make  the  ball 
a  success.  You  see,  I  know  how  terribly  clever  you 
are,  Mrs.  King.'* 

"  I  am  dreadfully  stupid." 

"  Nonsense ! " 

*'  I'm  sorry  to  say  we're  dining  out  to-morrow  night 
and  on  Thursday  we  are  having  some  people  here 
for—" 

"  Can't  you  bring  them  all  up  to  Blitherwood? 
We'd  be  delighted  to  have  them,  I'm  sure." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  couldn't  manage  it.  They  —  well, 
you  see,  they  are  in  mourning." 

"  Oh,  I  see.  Well,  perhaps  Maud  and  I  could  run 
in  and  see  you  for  a  few  minutes  to-morrow  or  next 
day,  just  to  talk  things  over  a  little  —  what's  that, 
Maud?  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mrs.  King.  Ahem! 
Well,  I'll  call  you  up  to-morrow,  if  you  don't  mind 
being  bothered  about  a  silly,  old  ball.  Good-bye. 
Thank  you  so  much." 

Mrs.  King  confronted  Robin  in  the  lower  hall  a 
few  seconds  later  and  roundly  berated  him  for  shouting 


PRINCE  ROBIN  IS  ASKED  TO  STAND  UP     63 

up  the  steps  that  Hobbs  ought  to  be  invited  to  the 
ball.  Prince  Robin  rolled  on  a  couch  and  roared  with 
delight.  Lieutenant  Dank,  as  became  an  officer  of  the 
Royal  Guard,  stood  at  attention  —  in  the  bow  window 
with  his  back  to  the  room,  very  red  about  the  ears  and 
rigid  to  the  bursting  point. 

"  I  suppose,  however,  we'll  have  to  keep  on  the 
good  side  of  the  Blithers  syndicate,"  said  Robin  so- 
berly, after  his  mirth  and  subsided  before  her  wrath. 
"  Good  Lord,  Aunt  Loraine,  I  simply  cannot  go  up 
there  and  stand  in  line  like  a  freak  in  a  side  show 
for  all  the  ladies  and  girls  to  gape  at.  I'll  get  sick 
the  day  of  the  party,  that's  what  I'll  do,  and  you  can 
tell  'em  how  desolated  I  am  over  my  misfortune." 

"  They've  got  their  eyes  on  you,  Bobby,"  she  said 
flatly.  "You  can't  escape  so  easily  as  all  that.  If 
you're  not  very,  very  careful  they'll  have  you  married 
to  the  charming  Miss  Maud  before  you  can  say  Jack 
Rabbit." 

"Think  that's  their  idea?" 

"  Unquestionably." 

He  stretched  himself  lazily.  "  Well,  it  may  be  that 
she's  the  very  one  I'm  looking  for,  Auntie.  Who 
knows?  " 

"You  silly  boy!" 

*'  She  may  be  the  Golden  Girl  in  every  sense  of  the 
term,"  said  he  lightly.  "You  say  she's  pretty?  " 

"  My  notion  of  beauty  and  yours  may  not  agree 
at  all." 

"  That's  not  an  answer." 


64 

"Well,  I  consider  her  to  be  a  very  good-looking 
girl." 

"  Blonde?  " 

"  Mixed.  Light  brown  hair  and  very  dark  eyes  and 
lashes.  A  little  taller  than  I,  more  graceful  and  a 
splendid  horse-woman.  I've  seen  her  riding," 

"Astride?" 

"No.  I've  seen  her  in  a  ball  gown,  too.  Most 
men  think  she's  stunning." 

"  Well,  let's  have  a  game  of  billiards,"  said  he, 
dismissing  Maud  in  a  way  that  would  have  caused  the 
proud  Mr.  Blithers  to  reel  with  indignation. 

A  little  later  on,  at  the  billiard  table,  Mrs.  King 
remarked,  apropos  of  nothing  and  quite  out  of  a  clear 
sky,  so  to  speak: 

"  And  she'll  do  anything  her  parents  command  her 
to  do,  that's  the  worst  of  it." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about?     It's  your  shot." 

"  If  they  order  her  to  marry  a  title,  she'll  do  it. 
That's  the  way  she's  been  brought  up,  I'm  afraid." 

"  Meaning  Maud?  " 

"  Certainly.  Who  else?  Poor  thing,  she  hasn't 
*  chance  in  the  world,  with  that  mother  of  hers." 

"  Shoot,  please.     Mark  up  six  for  me,  Dank." 

"  Wait  till  you  see  her,  Bobby." 

"  All  right.     I'll  wait,"  said  he  cheerfully. 

The  next  day  Count  Quinnox  and  King  returned 
from  the  city,  coming  up  in  a  private  car  with  Mr, 
Blithers  himself. 


PRINCE  ROBIN  IS  ASKED  TO  STAND  UP     65 

"  I'll  have  Maud  drive  me  over  this  afternoon," 
said  Mr.  Blithers,  as  they  parted  at  the  station. 

But  Maud  did  not  drive  him  over  that  afternoon. 
The  pride,  joy  and  hope  of  the  Blithers  family  flatly 
refused  to  be  a  party  of  any  such  arrangement,  and 
set  out  for  a  horse-back  ride  in  a  direction  that  took 
her  as  far  away  from  Red  Roof  as  possible. 

"What's  come  over  the  girl?"  demanded  Mr. 
Blithers,  completely  non-plused.  "  She's  never  acted 
like  this  before,  Lou," 

"  Some  silly  notion  about  being  made  a  laughing- 
stock, I  gather,"  said  his  wife,  "  Heaven  knows  I've 
talked  to  her  till  I'm  utterly  worn  out.  She  says 
she  won't  be  bullied  into  even  meeting  the  Prince, 
much  less  marrying  him.  I've  never  known  her  to  be 
so  pig-headed.  Usually  I  can  make  her  see  things 
in  a  sensible  way.  She  would  have  married  the  duke, 
I'm  sure,  if  —  if  you  hadn't  put  a  stop  to  it  on  ac- 
count of  his  so-called  habits.  She  — " 

"  Well,  it's  turned  out  for  the  best,  hasn't  it?  Isn't 
a  prince  better  than  a  duke?  " 

"  You've  said  all  that  before,  Will.  I  wanted  her 
to  run  down  with  me  this  morning  to  talk  the  ball 
over  with  Mrs.  King,  and  what  do  you  think 
happened?  " 

"She  wouldn't  go?" 

"  Worse  than  that.  She  wouldn't  let  me  go.  Now, 
things  are  coming  to  a  pretty  pass  when  — " 

"  Never  mind.     I'll  talk  to  her,"  said  Mr.  Blithers, 


66          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

somewhat  bleakly  despite  his  confident  front.  "  She 
loves  her  old  dad.  I  can  do  anything  with  her." 

"  She's  on  a  frightfully  high  horse  lately,"  sighed 
Mrs.  Blithers  fretfully.  "  It  —  it  can't  be  that  young 
Scoville,  can  it?  " 

"  If  I  thought  it  was,  I'd  —  I'd  — "  There  is  nc 
telling  what  Mr.  Blithers  would  have  done  to  young 
Scoville,  at  the  moment,  for  he  couldn't  think  of  any- 
thing dire  enough  to  inflict  upon  the  suspected  med- 
dler. 

"  In  any  event,  it's  dreadfully  upsetting  to  me, 
Will.  She  —  she  won't  listen  to  anything.  And 
here's  something  else:  She  declares  she  won't  stay 
here  for  the  ball  on  Friday  night.'* 

Mr.  Blithers  had  her  repeat  it,  and  then  almost 
missed  the  chair  in  sitting  down,  he  was  so  precipitous 
about  it. 

"  Won't  stay  for  her  own  ball?  "  he  bellowed. 

"  She  says  it  isn't  her  ball,"  lamented  his  wife. 

**If  it  isn't  hers,  in  the  name  of  God  whose  is 
it?" 

"Ask  her,  not  me,"  flared  Mrs.  Blithers-  "And 
don't  glare  at  me  like  that.  I've  had  nothing  but 
glares  since  you  went  away.  I  thought  I  was  doing 
the  very  nicest  thing  in  the  world  when  I  suggested 
the  ball.  It  would  bring  them  together  — " 

tt  The  only  two  it  will  actually  bring  together,  it 
seems,  are  those  damned  prize-fighters.  They'll  get 
together  all  right,  but  what  good  is  it  going  to  do  us, 
if  Maud's  going  to  act  like  this?  See  here,  Lou,  I'v* 


PRINCE  ROBIN  IS  ASKED  TO  STAND  UP     67 

got  things  fixed  so  that  the  Prince  of  Groostuck  can't 
very  well  do  anything  but  ask  Maud  to  — " 

"  That's  just  it !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Maud  sees 
through  the  whole  arrangement,  Will.  She  said  last 
night  that  she  wouldn't  be  at  all  surprised  if  you  of- 
fered to  assume  Graustark's  debt  to  Russia  in  order 
to—" 

"  That's  just  what  I've  done,  old  girl,"  said  he  in 
triumph.  "  I'll  have  'em  sewed  up  so  tight  by  next 
week  that  they  can't  move  without  asking  me  to  loosen 
the  strings.  And  you  can  tell  Maud  once  more  for 
me  that  I'll  get  this  Prince  for  her  if  — " 

"  But  she  doesn't  want  him !  " 

"  She  doesn't  know  what  she  wants !  "  he  roared. 
"  Where  is  she  going?  " 

"  You  saw  her  start  off  on  Katydid,  so  why  — " 

"  I  mean  on  the  day  of  the  ball." 

"  To  New  York." 

"By  gad,  I'll  —  I'll  see  about  that,11  he  grated. 
"  I'll  see  that  she  doesn't  leave  the  grounds  if  I  have 
to  put  guards  at  every  gate.  She's  got  to  be  reason- 
able. What  does  she  think  I'm  putting  sixteen  mil- 
lions into  the  Grasstork  treasury  for?  She's  got  to 
stay  here  for  the  ball.  Why,  it  would  be  a  crime  for 
her  to  —  but  what's  the  use  talking  about  it?  She'll 
be  here  and  she'll  lead  the  grand  march  with  the 
Prince.  I've  got  it  all  — " 

"  Well,  you'll  have  to  talk  to  her.  I've  done  all 
that  I  can  do.  She  swears  she  won't  marry  a  man 
she's  never  seen." 


68  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

**  Ain't  we  trying  to  show  him  to  her?  "  he  snorted. 
**  She  won't  have  to  marry  him  till  she's  seen  him,  and 
when  she  does  see  him  she'll  apologise  to  me  for  all 
the  nasty  things  she's  been  saying  about  me."  For 
a  moment  it  looked  as  though  Mr.  Blithers  would 
dissolve  into  tears,  so  suddenly  was  he  afflicted  by  self- 
pity.  "  By  the  way,  didn't  she  like  the  necklace  I 
sent  up  to  her  from  Tiffany's?  " 

**  I  suppose  so.  She  faid  you  were  a  dear  old 
foozler." 

"Foozler?  What's  that  mean?"  He  wasn't  quite 
sure,  but  somehow  it  sounded  like  a  term  of  oppro- 
brium. 

"I  haven't  the  faintest  idea,"  she  said  shortly. 

"  Well,  why  didn't  you  ask  her?  You've  had  charge 
of  her  bringing  up.  If  she  uses  a  word  that  you  don't 
know  the  meaning  of,  you  ought  to  — " 

"  Are  you  actually  going  to  lend  all  that  money] 
to  Graustark  ?  "  she  cut  in. 

He  glared  at  her  uncertainly  for  a  moment  and 
then  nodded  his  head.  The  words  wouldn't  come. 

"Are  you  not  a  trifle  premature  about  it?"  she 
demanded  with  deep  significance  in  her  manner. 

This  time  he  did  not  nod  his  head,  nor  did  he  shake' 
it.  He  simply  got  up  and  walked  out  of  the  room.' 
Half  way  across  the  terrace  he  stopped  short  and 
said  it  with  a  great  fervour  and  instantly  felt  very 
much  relieved.  In  fact,  the  sensation  of  relief  was 
so  pleasant  that  he  repeated  it  two  or  three  times  and 
then  had  to  explain  to  a  near  by  gardener  that  he 


PRINCE  ROBIN  IS  ASKED  TO  STAND  UP     69 

didn't  mean  him  at  all.  Then  he  went  down  to  the 
stables.  All  the  grooms  and  stableboys  came  tumbling 
into  the  stable  jard  in  response  to  his  thunderous 
shout. 

"  Saddle  Red  Rover,  and  be  quick  about  it,"  he  com* 
manded. 

"  Going  out,  sir?  "  asked  the  head  groom,  touching 
his  fore-lock. 

"  I  am,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  succinctly  and  with  a 
withering  glare.  Red  Rover  must  have  been  surprised 
by  the  unusual  celerity  with  which  he  was  saddled  and 
bridled.  If  there  could  be  such  a  thing  as  a  horse  look- 
ing shocked,  that  beast  certainly  betrayed  himself  as 
he  was  yanked  away  from  his  full  manger  and  hustled 
out  to  the  mounting  block. 

"  Which  way  did  Miss  Blithers  go  ?  "  demanded 
Mr.  Blithers,  in  the  saddle.  Two  grooms  were  clum- 
sily trying  to  insert  his  toes  into  the  stirrups,  at  the 
same  time  pulling  down  his  trousers  legs,  which  had  a 
tendency  to  hitch  up  in  what  seemed  to  them  a  most 
exasperating  disregard  for  form.  To  their  certain 
knowledge,  Mr.  Blithers  had  never  started  out  before 
without  boot  and  spur;  therefore,  the  suddenness  of. 
his  present  sortie  sank  into  their  intellects  with  over- 
whelming impressiveness. 

"  Down  the  Cutler  road,  sir,  three  quarters  of  an 
hour  ago.  She  refused  to  have  a  groom  go  along,  sir." 

"  Get  ap  1 "  said  Mr.  Blithers,  and  almost  ran  down 
a  groom  in  his  rush  for  the  gate.  For  the  informa- 
tion of  the  curious,  it  may  be  added  that  he  did  not 


70          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

overtake  his  daughter  until  she  had  been  at  home  for 
half  an  hour,  but  he  was  gracious  enough  to  admit  to 
himself  that  he  had  been  a  fool  to  pursue  a  stern  chase 
rather  than  to  intercept  her  on  the  back  road  home, 
which  any  fool  might  have  known  she  would  take. 

His  wife  came  upon  him  a  few  minutes  later  while 
he  was  feverishly  engaged  in  getting  into  his  white 
flannels. 

'*  Tell  Maud  I'm  going  over  to  have  tea  with  the 
Prince,"  he  grunted,  without  looking  up  from  the  shoe 
lace  he  was  tying  in  a  hard  knot.  "  I  want  her  to  go 
with  me  in  fifteen  minutes.  Told  'em  I  would  bring 
her  over  to  play  tennis.  Tell  her  to  put  on  tennis 
clothes.  Hurry  up,  Lou.  Where's  my  watch? 
What  time  is  it?  For  God's  sake,  look  at  the  watch, 
not  at  me!  I'm  not  a  clock?  What?" 

"  Mrs.  King  called  up  half  an  hour  ago  to  say  that 
they  were  all  motoring  over  to  the  Grandby  Tavern 
for  tea  and  wouldn't  be  back  till  half-past  seven  — " 

He  managed  to  look  up  at  that.  For  a  moment 
he  was  speechless.  No  one  had  ever  treated  him  like 
this  before. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  —  hanged !  Positive  engagement. 
But's  it's  all  right,"  he  concluded  resolutely.  "  I  can 
motor  to  Grandby  Tavern,  too,  can't  I?  Tell  Maud 
not  to  mind  tennis  clothes,  but  to  hurry.  Want  to  go 
along?  " 

"  No,  I  don't,"  she  said  emphatically.  "  And 
Maud  isn't  going,  either." 

"  She  isn't,  eh?  " 


71' 

"  No,  she  isn't.    Can't  you  leave  this  affair  to  me?  ** 

"  I'm  pretty  hot  under  the  collar,"  he  warned  her, 
and  it  was  easy  to  believe  that  he  was. 

"  Don't  rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread,  Will 
dear,"  she  pleaded.  It  was  so  unusual  for  her  to  adopt 
a  pleading  tone  that  he  overlooked  the  implication.  { 
Besides  he  had  just  got  through  calling  himself  a 
fool,  so  perhaps  she  was  more  or  less  justified.  More- 
over, at  that  particular  moment  she  undertook  to  as- 
sist him  with  his  necktie.  Her  soft,  cool  fingers 
touched  his  double  chin  and  seemed  to  caress  it  lov- 
ingly. He  lifted  his  head  very  much  as  a  dog  does 
when  he  is  being  tickled  on  that  velvety  spot  under 
the  lower  jaw. 

"  Stuff  and  nonsense,"  he  murmured  throatily. 

"  I  thought  you  would  see  it  that  way,"  she  said  so 
calmly  that  he  blinked  a  couple  of  times  in  sheer  per- 
plexity and  then  diminished  his  double  chin  percep- 
tibly by  a  very  helpful  screwing  up  of  his  lower  lip. 
He  said  nothing,  preferring  to  let  her  think  that  the 
most  important  thing  in  the  world  just  then  was  the 
proper  adjustment  of  the  wings  of  his  necktie. 
"  There ! "  she  said,  and  patted  him  on  the  cheek,  to 
ehow  that  the  task  had  been  successfully  accom- 
plished. 

"  Better  come  along  for  a  little  spin,"  he  said,  re- 
adjusting the  tie  with  man-like  ingenuousness.  "Do 
you  good,  Lou." 

"  Very  well,"  she  said.  "  Can  you  wait  a  few 
minutes?  '* 


72          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARE 

**  Long  as  you  like,"  said  he  graciously.  "  Ask 
Maud  if  she  wants  to  come,  too." 

"I  am  sure  she  will  enjoy  it,"  said  his  wife,  and 
then  Mr.  Blithers  descended  to  the  verandah  to  think. 
Somehow  he  felt  if  he  did  a  little  more  thinking  per- 
haps matters  wouldn't  be  so  bad.  Among  othei 
things,  he  thought  it  would  be  a  good  idea  not  to  motor 
in  the  direction  of  Grandby  Tavern.  And  he  also 
thought  it  was  not  worth  while  resenting  the  fact  that 
his  wife  and  daughter  took  something  over  an  hour  to 
prepare  for  the  little  spin. 

In  the  meantime,  Prince  Robin  was  racing  over  the 
mountain  roads  in  a  high-power  car,  attended  by  a 
merry  company  of  conspirators  whose  sole  object  was 
to  keep  him  out  of  the  clutches  of  that  far-reaching 
octopus,  William  W.  Blithers. 


CHAPTER     VI 

THE    PEINCE    AND    ME.    BLITHEES 

IN  order  to  get  on  with  the  narrative,  I  shall  be  as 
brief  as  possible  in  the  matter  of  the  Blitherwood 
ball.  In  the  first  place,  mere  words  would  prove  to  be 
not  only  feeble  but  actually  out  of  place.  Any  at- 
tempt to  define  the  sensation  of  awe  by  recourse  to  a 
dictionary  would  put  one  in  the  ridiculous  position 
of  seeking  the  unattainable.  The  word  has  its  mean- 
ing, of  course,  but  the  sensation  itself  is  quite  another 
thing.  As  every  one  who  attended  the  ball  was  filled 
with  awe,  which  he  tried  to  put  forward  as  admiration, 
the  attitude  of  the  guest  was  no  more  limp  than  that 
of  the  chronicler.  In  the  second  place,  I  am  not 
qualified  by  experience  or  imagination  to  describe  a 
ball  that  stood  its  promoter  not  a  penny  short  of  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  I  believe  I  could  go  as  high 
as  a  fifteen  or  even  twenty  thousand  dollar  affair 
with  some  sort  of  intelligence,  but  anything  beyond 
those  figures  renders  me  void  and  useless. 

Mr.  Blithers  not  only  ran  a  special  train  de  luxe 
from  New  York  City,  but  another  from  Washington 
and  still  another  from  Newport,  for  it  appears  that 
the  Newporters  at  the  last  minute  couldn't  bear  the 
idea  of  going  to  the  Metropolis  out  of  season.  He 

actually  had  to  take  them  around  the  city  in  such  a 

73 


74          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

way  that  they  were  not  even  obliged  to  submit  to  m 
glimpse  of  the  remotest  outskirts  of  the  Bronx. 

From  Washington  came  an  amazing  company  of 
foreign  ladies  and  gentlemen,  ranging  from  the  most 
exalted  Europeans  to  the  lowliest  of  the  yellow  races. 
They  came  with  gold  all  over  them ;  they  tinkled  with 
the  clash  of  a  million  cymbals.  The  President  of  the 
United  States  almost  came.  Having  no  spangles  of 
his  own,  he  delegated  a  Major-General  and  a  Rear- 
Admiral  to  represent  Old  Glory,  and  no  doubt  sulked 
in  the  White  House  because  a  parsimonious  nation 
refuse?  to  buy  braid  and  buttons  for  its  chief  execu- 
tive. 

Any  one  who  has  seen  a  gentleman  in  braid,  buttons 
and  spangles  will  understand  how  impossible  it  is  to 
describe  him.  One  might  enumerate  the  buttons  and 
the  spangles  and  even  locate  them  precisely  upon  his 
person,  but  no  mortal  intellect  can  expand  sufficiently 
to  cope  with  an  undertaking  that  would  try  even  the 
powers  of  Him  who  created  the  contents  of  those  well- 
stuffed  uniforms. 

A  car  load  of  orchids  and  gardenias  came  up,  fairly 
depleting  the  florists'  shops  on  Manhattan  Island,  and 
with  them  came  a  small  army  of  skilled  decorators. 
In  order  to  deliver  his  guests  at  the  doors  of  Blither- 
wood,  so  to  speak,  the  incomprehensible  Mr.  Blithers 
had  a  temporary  spur  of  track  laid  from  the  station 
two  miles  away,  employing  no  fewer  than  a  thousand 
men  to  do  the  work  in  forty-eight  hours.  (Work  on 
A  terminal  extension  in  New  York  was  delayed  for  a 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS      75 

week  or  more  In  order  that  he  might  borrow  the  rails, 
ties  and  worktrains!) 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  precious  and  skillfully 
selected  guests  ate  two  hundred  and  fifty  gargantuan 
dinners  and  twice  as  many  suppers;  drank  barrels 
of  the  rarest  of  wines;  smoked  countless  two  dollar 
Perfectos  and  stuffed  their  pockets  with  enough  to 
last  them  for  days  to  come;  burnt  up  five  thousand 
cigarettes  and  ate  at  least  two  dozen  eggs  for  break- 
fast, and  then  flitted  away  with  a  thousand  complaints 
in  two  hundred  and  fifty  Pullman  drawing-rooms. 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  accurately  pulled-off 
than  the  wonderful  Blitherwood  ball.  (The  sparring 
match  on  the  lawn,  under  the  glare  of  a  stupendous 
cluster  of  lights,  resulted  in  favour  of  Mr.  Bullhead 
Brown,  who  successfully  —  if  accidentally  —  landed 
with  considerably  energy  on  the  left  lower  corner  of 
Mr.  Sledge-hammer  Smith's  diaphragm,  completely 
dividing  the  purse  with  him  in  four  scientifically  satis- 
factory rounds,  although  they  came  to  blows  over  it 
afterwards  when  Mr.  Smith  told  Mr.  Brown  what  he 
thought  of  him  for  hitting  with  such  fervour  just 
after  they  had  eaten  a  hearty  meal.) 

A  great  many  mothers  inspected  Prince  Robin  with 
interest  and  confessed  to  a  really  genuine  enthusiasm: 
something  they  had  not  experienced  since  one  of  the 
German  princes  got  close  enough  to  Newport  to  see 
it  quite  clearly  through  his  marine  glasses  from  the 
bridge  of  a  battleship.  The  ruler  of  Graustark  — 
(four-fifths  of  the  guests  asked  where  in  the  world  it 


76          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

wasi) — was  the  lion  of  the  day.  Mr.  Blithers  was 
annoyed  because  he  did  not  wear  his  crown,  but  was 
somewhat  mollified  by  the  information  that  he  had 
neglected  to  bring  it  along  with  him  in  his  travels. 
He  was  also  considerably  put  out  by  the  discovery 
that  the  Prince  had  left  his  white  and  gold  uniform 
at  home  and  had  to  appear  in  an  ordinary  dress-suit, 
which,  to  be  sure,  fitted  him  perfectly  but  did  not 
achieve  distinction.  He  did  wear  a  black  and  silver 
ribbon  across  his  shirt  front,  however,  and  a  tiny 
gold  button  in  the  lapel  of  his  coat;  otherwise  he 
might  have  been  mistaken  for  a  "  regular  guest,"  to 
borrow  an  expression  from  Mr.  Blithers.  The  Prince's 
host  manoeuvred  until  nearly  one  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing before  he  succeeded  in  getting  a  close  look  at  the 
little  gold  button,  and  then  found  that  the  inscription 
thereon  was  in  some  sort  of  hieroglyphics  that  af- 
forded no  enlightenment  whatsoever. 

Exercising  a  potentate's  prerogative,  Prince  Robin 
left  the  scene  of  festivity  somewhat  earlier  than  was 
expected.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  departed  shortly 
after  one.  Moreover,  being  a  prince,  it  did  not  occur 
to  him  to  offer  any  excuse  for  leaving  so  early,  but 
gracefully  thanked  his  host  and  hostess  and  took  him- 
self off  without  the  customary  assertion  that  he  had 
had  a  splendid  time.  Strange  to  say,  he  did  not  offer 
a  single  comment  on  the  sumptuousness  of  the  affair 
that  had  been  given  in  his  honor.  Mr.  Blithers 
couldn't  get  over  that.  He  couldn't  help  thinking 
that  the  fellow  had  not  been  properly  brought-up, 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS      77 

or  was  it  possible  that  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
going  out  in  good  society? 

Except  for  one  heart-rending  incident,  the  Blither- 
wood  ball  was  the  most  satisfying  event  in  the  lives  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  W.  Blithers.  That  incident, 
however,  happened  to  be  the  hasty  and  well-managed 
flight  of  Maud  Applegate  Blithers  at  an  hour  indefi- 
nitely placed  somewhere  between  four  and  seven  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  the  great  day. 

Miss  Blithers  was  not  at  the  ball.  She  was  in  New 
York  City  serenely  enjoying  one  of  the  big  summer 
shows,  accompanied  by  young  Scoville  and  her  one- 
time governess,  a  middle-aged  gentlewoman  who  had 
seen  even  better  days  than  those  spent  in  the  employ 
of  William  W.  Blithers.  The  resolute  young  lady  had 
done  precisely  what  she  said  she  would  do,  and  for 
the  first  time  in  his  life  Mr.  Blithers  realised  that  his 
daughter  was  a  creation  and  not  a  mere  condition. 
He  wilted  like  a  famished  water-lily  and  went  about 
the  place  in  a  state  of  bewilderment  so  bleak  that  even 
his  wife  felt  sorry  for  him  and  refrained  from  the  "  I 
told  you  so  "  that  might  have  been  expected  under  the 
circumstances. 

Maud's  telegram,  which  came  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  was  meant  to  be  reassuring  but  it  failed  of 
its  purpose.  It  said :  "  Have  a  good  time  and  don't 
lose  any  sleep  over  me.  I  shall  sleep  very  soundly 
myself  at  the  Ritz  to-night  and  hope  you  will  be  doing 
the  same  when  I  return  home  to-morrow  afternoon, 
for  I  know  you  will  be  dreadfully  tired  after  all  the 


78          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

excitement.  Convey  my  congratulations  to  the  guest 
of  honor  and  believe  me  to  be  your  devoted  and  obedi- 
ent daughter." 

The  co-incidental  absence  of  young  Mr.  Scoville 
from  the  ball  was  a  cause  of  considerable  uneasiness 
on  the  part  of  the  agitated  Mr.  Blithers,  who  com- 
mented upon  it  quite  expansively  in  the  seclusion  of 
his  own  bed-chamber  after  the  last  guest  had  sought 
repose.  Some  of  the  things  that  Mr.  Blithers  said 
about  Mr.  Scoville  will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  four 
walls  of  that  room,  if,  as  commonly  reported,  they  pos- 
sess auricular  attachments. 

Any  one  who  imagines  that  Mr.  Blithers  accepted 
Maud's  defection  as  a  final  disposition  of  the  cause  he 
had  set  his  heart  upon  is  very  much  mistaken  in  his 
man.  Far  from  receding  so  much  as  an  inch  from  his 
position,  he  at  once  set  about  to  strengthen  it  in  such 
a  way  that  Maud  would  have  to  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  was  useless  to  combat  the  inevitable,  and  ulti- 
mately would  heap  praises  upon  his  devoted  head  for 
the  great  blessing  he  was  determined  to  bestow  upon 
her  in  spite  of  herself. 

The  last  of  the  special  coaches  was  barely  moving 
on  its  jiggly  way  to  the  main  line,  carrying  the  tag 
end  of  the  revellers,  when  he  set  forth  in  his  car  for  a 
mid-day  visit  to  Red  Roof.  Already  the  huge  camp 
of  Slavs  and  Italians  was  beginning  to  jerk  up  the 
borrowed  rails  and  ties ;  the  work  trains  were  rumbling 
and  snorting  in  the  meadows  above  Blitherwood,  tot- 
tering about  on  the  uncertain  road-bed.  He  gave  a 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS      79 

few  concise  and  imperative  orders  to  obsequious  super- 
intendents and  foremen,  who  subsequently  repeated 
them  with  even  greater  freedom  to  the  perspiring  for- 
eigners, and  left  the  scene  of  confusion  without  so 
much  as  a  glance  behind.  Wagons,  carts,  motor- 
trucks and  all  manner  of  wheeled  things  were  scuttling 
about  Blitherwood  as  he  shot  down  the  long,  winding 
avenue  toward  the  lodge  gates,  but  he  paid  no  atten- 
tion to  them.  They  were  removing  the  remnants  of 
a  glory  that  had  passed  at  five  in  the  morning.  He 
was  not  interested  in  the  well-plucked  skeleton.  It 
was  a  nuisance  getting  rid  of  it,  that  was  all,  and  he 
wanted  it  to  be  completely  out  of  sight  when  he  re- 
turned from  Red  Roof.  If  a  vestige  of  the  ruins  re- 
mained, some  one  would  hear  from  him!  That  was 
understood.  And  when  Maud  came  home  on  the  five- 
f ourteen  she  would  not  find  him  asleep  —  not  by  a  long 
shot! 

Half-way  to  Red  Roof,  he  espied  a  man  walking 
briskly  along  the  road  ahead  of  him.  To  be  perfectly 
accurate,  he  was  walking  in  the  middle  of  the  road  and 
his  back  was  toward  the  swift-moving,  almost  noiseless 
Packard. 

"  Blow  the  horn  for  the  dam'  fool,"  said  Mr.  Blith- 
ers to  the  chauffeur.  A  moment  later  the  pedestrian 
leaped  nimbly  aside  and  the  car  shot  past,  the  dying 
wail  of  the  siren  dwindling  away  in  the  whirr  of  the 
wheels.  "  Look  where  you're  going  1 "  shouted  Mr. 
Blithers  from  the  tonneau,  as  if  the  walker  had  come 
near  to  running  him  down  instead  of  the  other  way 


80          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK5 

around.     "  Whoa !     Stop  'er,  Jackson ! "  he  called  to 
the  driver.     He  had  recognised  the  pedestrian. 

The  car  came  to  a  stop  with  grinding  brakes,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  pedestrian  halted  a  hundred  yards 
away. 

I  **  Back  up,"  commanded  Mr.  Blithers  in  some  hasteJ 
for  the  Prince  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  deserting' 
the  highway  for  the  wood  that  lined  it.  "  Morning, 
Prince!"  he  shouted,  waving  his  hat  vigorously. 
«  Want  a  lift?" 

The  car  shot  backward  with  almost  the  same  speed 
that  it  had  gone  forward,  and  the  Prince  exercised 
prudence  when  he  stepped  quickly  up  the  sloping  bank 
at  the  roadside. 

*'  Were  you  addressing  me,"  he  demanded  curtly,  as 
the  car  came  to  a  stop. 

"  Yes,  your  highness.  Get  in.  I'm  going  you? 
way,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  beamingly. 

**  I  mean  a  moment  ago,  when  you  shouted  '  Look 
where  you  are  going,'  "  said  Robin,  an  angry  gleam  in 
his  eye. 

Mr.  Blithers  looked  positively  dumbfounded. 
**  Good  Heavens,  no ! "  he  cried.  "  I  was  speaking  t« 
the  chauffeur."  (Jackson's  back  seemed  to  stiffen  a 
Ettle.)  "  I've  told  him  a  thousand  times  to  be  careful 
about  running  up  on  people  like  that.  Now  this  is 
the  last  time  I'll  warn  you,  Jackson.  The  next  time 
you  go.  Understand?  Just  because  you  happen  to 
be  driving  for  me  doesn't  signify  that  you  can  run 
over  people  who  — & 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS      81 

"It's  all  right,  Mr.  Blithers,"  interrupted  Robin, 
With  his  fine  smile.  "  No  harm  done.  I'll  walk  if  you 
don't  mind.  Out  for  a  bit  of  exercise,  you  know. 
Thank  you  just  the  same." 

"Where  are  you  bound  for?"  asked  Mr.  Blithers. 

*'I  don't  know.  I  ramble  where  my  fancy  leads 
me." 

"  I  guess  I'll  get  out  and  stroll  along  with  you. 
God  knows  I  need  more  exercise  than  I  get.  Is  it 
agreeable? "  He  was  on  the  ground  by  this  time. 
Without  waiting  for  an  answer,  he  directed  Jackson  to 
run  on  to  Red  Roof  and  wait  for  him. 

"  I  shall  be  charmed,"  said  Robin,  a  twinkle  in  the 
tail  of  his  eye,,  "An  eight  or  ten  mile  jaunt  will  do 
you  a  world  of  good,  I'm  sure.  Shall  we  explore  this 
little  road  up  the  mountain  and  then  drop  down  to 
Red  Roof?  I  don't  believe  it  can  be  more  than  five  or 
six  miles." 

"  Capital,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  with  enthusiasm.  He 
happened  to  know  that  it  was  a  "  short  cut  "  to  Red 
Roof  and  less  than  a  mile  as  the  crow  flies.  True, 
there  was  something  of  an  ascent  ahead  of  them,  but 
there  was  also  a  corresponding  descent  at  the  other? 
end.  Besides,  he  was  confident  he  could  keep  up  withi 
the  long-legged  youngster  by  the  paradoxical  process 
of  holding  back.  The  Prince,  having  suggested  the 
route,  couldn't  very  well  be  arbitrary  in  traversing  it. 
Mr.  Blithers  regarded  the  suggestion  as  an  invitation. 

They  struck  off  into  the  narrow  woodland  road,  not 
precisely  side  by  side,  but  somewhat  after  the  fashion 


82          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

of  a  horseback  rider  and  his  groom,  or,  more  strictly 
speaking,  as  a  Knight  and  his  vassal.  Robin  started 
off  so  briskly  that  Mr.  Blithers  fell  behind  a  few  paces 
and  had  to  exert  himself  considerably  to  keep  from 
losing  more  ground  as  they  took  the  first  steep  rise. 
The  road  was  full  of  ruts  and  cross  ruts  and  littered, 
with  boulders  that  had  ambled  down  the  mountain-side 
in  the  spring  moving.  To  save  his  life,  Mr.  Blithers 
couldn't  keep  to  a  straight  course.  He  went  from 
rut  to  rut  and  from  rock  to  rock  with  the  fidelity  of  a 
magnetised  atom,  seldom  putting  his  foot  where  he 
meant  to  put  it,  and  never  by  any  chance  achieving  a 
steady  stride.  He  would  take  one  long,  purposeful 
step  and  then  a  couple  of  short  "  feelers,"  progressing 
very  much  as  a  man  tramps  over  a  newly  ploughed 
field. 

At  the  top  of  the  rise,  Robin  considerately  slack- 
ened his  pace  and  the  chubby  gentleman  drew  along- 
side, somewhat  out  of  breath  but  as  cheerful  as  a 
cricket. 

"  Going  too  fast  for  you,  Mr.  Blithers?  "  inquired 
Robin. 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Mr.  Blithers.  "  By  the  way, 
Prince,"  he  went  on,  cunningly  seizing  the  young 
man's  arm  and  thereby  putting  a  cheek  on  his  speed 
for  the  time  being  at  least,  **I  want  to  explain  my 
daughter's  unfortunate  absence  last  night.  You  must 
have  thought  it  very  strange.  Naturally  it  was  una- 
voidable. The  poor  girl  is  really  quite  heart-broken. 
I  beg  pardon!"  He  stepped  into  a  rut  and  came 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS      83 

perilously  near  to  going  over  on  his  nose.  "  Beastly 
road  1  Thanks.  Good  thing  I  took  hold  of  you.  Yes, 
as  I  was  saying,  it  was  really  a  most  unfortunate 
thing;  missed  the  train,  don't  you  see.  Went  down 
for  the  day  —  just  like  a  girl,  you  know  =*-*  and  missed 
the  train." 

*'  Ah,  I  see.     She  missed  it  twice." 

"Eh?  Oh!  Ha  ha!  Very  good!  She  might 
just  as  well  have  missed  it  a  dozen  times  as  once,  eh? 
Well,  she  could  have  arranged  for  a  special  to  bring 
her  up,  but  she's  got  a  confounded  streak  of  thrifti- 
ness  in  her.  Couldn't  think  of  spending  the  money. 
Silly  idea  of  —  I  beg  your  pardon,  did  I  hurt  you? 
I'm  pretty  heavy,  you  know,  no  light  weight  when  I 
come  down  on  a  fellow's  toe  like  that.  What  say  to 
sitting  down  on  this  log  for  a  while?  Give  your  foot 
a  chance  to  rest  a  bit.  Deucedly  awkward  of  me. 
Ought  to  look  out  where  I'm  stepping,  eh?  " 

"  It  really  doesn't  matter,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said 
Robin  hastily.  "We'll  keep  right  on  if  it's  all  the 
same  to  you.  I'm  due  at  home  in  —  in  half  an  hour. 
We  lunch  very  punctually." 

"I  was  particularly  anxious  for  you  and  Maud  to 
meet  under  the  conditions  that  obtained  last  night," 
went  on  Mr.  Blithers,  with  a  regretful  look  at  the  log 
they  were  passing.  "  Nothing  could  have  been  more 
—  er  - —  ripping." 

"  I  hear  from  every  one  that  your  daughter  is  most 
attractive,"  said  Robin.  "  Sorry  not  to  have  met 
her,  Mr.  Blithers." 


"  Oh,  you'll  meet  her  all  right,  Prince.  She's  cora« 
ing  home  to-day.  I  believe  Mrs.  Blithers  is  expecting 
you  to  dinner  to-night.  She  — " 

"  I'm  sure  there  must  be  some  mistake,"  began 
Robin,  but  was  cut  short. 

"  I  was  on  my  way  to  Red  Roof  to  ask  you  and 
Count  Quiddux  to  give  us  this  evening  in  connection' 
with  that  little  affair  we  are  arranging.     It  is  most 
imperative  that  it  should  be  to-night,  as  my  attorney 
is  coming  up  for  the  conference." 

"  I  fear  that  Mrs.  King  has  planned  something  — >" 

Mr.  Blithers  waved  his  hand  deprecatingly.  "  I 
am  sure  Mrs.  King  will  let  you  off  when  she  knows  how 
important  it  is.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  has  to  be  to- 
night or  not  at  all." 

There  was  a  note  in  his  voice  that  Robift.  did  not 
like.  It  savoured  of  arrogance. 

"  I  daresay  Count  Quinnox  can  attend  to  all  the  de- 
tails, Mr.  Blithers.  I  have  the  power  of  veto,  of 
course,  but  I  shall  be  guided  by  the  counsel  of  my  min- 
isters. You  need  have  no  hesitancy  in  dealing 
with—-" 

"  That's  not  the  point,  Prince.  I  am  a  business 
man, —  as  perhaps  you  know.  I  make  it  a  point  never 
to  deal  with  any  one  except  the  head  of  a  concern,  if 
you'll  pardon  my  way  of  putting  it.  It  isn't  right  to 
speak  of  Growstock  as  a  concern,  but  you'll  under- 
stand,  of  course.  Figure  of  speech." 

"  I  can  only  assure  you,  sir,  that  Graustark  is  in  a 
position  to  indemnify  you  against  any  possible  chance 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS      85 

of  loss.  You  will  be  amply  secured.  I  take  it  that  you 
are  not  coming  to  our  assistance  through  any  desire  to 
be  philanthropic,  but  as  a  business  proposition,  pure 
and  simple.  At  least,  that  is  how  we  regard  the  mat- 
ter. Am  I  not  right?  " 

"Perfectly,"  said  Mr.  Blithers.  "I  haven't  got 
sixteen  millions  to  throw  away.  Still  I  don't  see  that 
that  has  anything  to  do  with  my  request  that  you  be 
present  at  the  conference  to-night.  To  be  perfectly 
frank  with  you,  I  don't  like  working  in  the  dark.  You 
have  the  power  of  veto,  as  you  say.  Well,  if  I  am  to 
lend  Groostork  a  good  many  millions  of  hard-earned 
dollars,  I  certainly  don't  relish  the  idea  that  you  may 
take  it  into  your  head  to  upset  the  whole  transaction, 
merely  because  you  have  not  had  the  matter  presented 
to  you  by  me  instead  of  by  your  cabinet,  competent  as 
its  members  may  be.  First  hand  information  on  any 
subject  is  my  notion  of  simplicity. Jf 

"  The  integrity  of  the  cabinet  is  not  to  be  ques° 
tioned,  Mr.  Blithers.  Its  members  have  never  failed 
Graustark  in  any  — " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Prince,"  said  Mr.  Blithers 
firmly,  "  but  I  certainly  suspect  that  they  failed  her 
when  they  contracted  this  debt  to  Russia.  You  will 
forgive  me  for  saying  it,  but  it  was  the  most  asinine 
bit  of  short-sightedness  I've  ever  heard  of.  My  office 
boys  could  have  seen  farther  than  your  honourable 
ministers." 

To  his  utter  amazement,  Robin  turned  a  pair  of 
beaming,  excited  eyes  upon  him. 


86          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Do  you  really  mean  that,  Mr.  Blithers?  "  he  cried 
eagerly. 

"  I  certainly  do !  " 

"  By  jove,  I  —  I  can't  tell  you  how  happy  I  am  to 
hear  you  say  it.  You  see  it  is  exactly  what  John 
Tullis  said  from  the  first.  He  was  bitterly  opposed 
to  the  loan.  He  tried  his  best  to  convince  the  prime 
minister  that  it  was  inadvisable.  I  granted  him  the 
special  privilege  of  addressing  the  full  House  of  No- 
bles on  the  question,  an  honour  that  no  alien  had 
known  up  to  that  time.  Of  course  I  was  a  boy  when 
all  this  happened,  Mr.  Blithers,  or  I  might  have  put  a 
stop  to  the  —  but  I'll  not  go  into  that.  The  House  of 
Nobles  went  against  his  judgment  and  voted  in  favour 
of  accepting  Russia's  loan.  Now  they  realise  that 
dear  old  John  Tullis  was  right.  Somehow  it  gratifies 
me  to  hear  you  say  that  they  were  —  ahem !  —  short- 
sighted." 

"  What  you  need  in  Groostock  is  a  little  more  good 
American  blood,"  announced  Mr.  Blithers,  pointedly. 
*'  If  you  are  going  to  cope  with  the  world,  you've  got 
to  tackle  the  job  with  brains  and  not  with  that  idiotic 
thing  called  faith.  There's  no  such  thing  in  these 
days  as  charity  among  men,  good  will,  and  all  that 
nonsense.  Now,  you've  got  a  splendid  start  in  the 
right  direction,  Prince.  You've  got  American  blood 
in  your  veins  and  that  means  a  good  deal.  Take  my  , 
advice  and  increase  the  proportion.  In  a  couple  of 
generations  you'll  have  something  to  brag  about. 
Take  Tullis  as  your  example.  Beget  sons  that  will 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS      87 

think  and  act  as  he  is  capable  of  doing.  Weed  out  the 
thin  blood  and  give  the  crown  of  Grasstick  something 
that  is  thick  and  red.  It  will  be  the  making  of 
your  — " 

"  I  suppose  you  are  advising  me  to  marry  an  Amer* 
ican  woman,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said  Robin  drily. 

Mr.  Blithers  directed  a  calculating  squint  into  the 
tree-tops.  "  I  am  simply  looking  ahead  for  my  own 
protection,  Prince,"  said  he. 

"  In  what  respect  ?  " 

"  Well  I  am  putting  a  lot  of  money  into  the  hands 
of  your  people.  Isn't  it  natural  that  I  should  look 
ahead  to  some  extent?  " 

"  But  my  people  are  honest.     They  will  pay.'* 

"  I  understand  all  that,  but  at  the  same  time  I  do 
not  relish  the  idea  of  some  day  being  obliged  to  squeeze 
blood  from  a  turnip.  Now  is  the  time  for  you  to 
think  for  the  future.  Your  people  are  honest,  I'll 
grant.  But  they  also  are  poor.  And  why?  Be- 
cause no  one  has  been  able  to  act  for  them  as  your 
friend  Tullis  is  capable  of  acting.  The  day  will  come 
when  they  will  have  to  settle  with  me,  and  will  it  be  any 
easier  to  pay  William  W.  Blithers  than  it  is  to  pay 
Russia?  Not  a  bit  of  it.  As  you  have  said,  I  am  not 
a  philanthropist.  I  shall  exact  full  and  prompt  pay- 
ment. I  prefer  to  collect  from  the  prosperous,  how- 
ever, and  not  from  the  poor.  It  goes  against  the 
grain.  That's  why  I  want  to  see  you  rich  and  pow- 
erful —  as  well  as  honest." 

"  I  grant  you  it  is  splendid  philosophy,"  said  Robin, 


88  THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

*'But  are  you  not  forgetting  that  even  the  best  of 
Americans  are  sometimes  failures  when  it  comes  to  lay- 
ing up  treasure?  " 

"  As  individuals,  yes ;  but  not  as  a  class.  You  will 
not  deny  that  we  are  the  richest  people  in  the  world. 
On  the  other  hand  I  do  not  pretend  to  say  that  we  are 
a  people  of  one  strain  of  blood.  We  represent  a 
mixture  of  many  strains,  but  underneath  them  all  runs 
the  full  stream  that  makes  us  what  we  are:  Ameri- 
cans. You  can't  get  away  from  that.  Yes,  I  do  ad- 
vise you  to  marry  an  American  girl." 

"  In  other  words,  I  am  to  make  a  business  of  it," 
said  Robin,  tolerantly. 

"  It  isn't  beyond  the  range  of  possibility  that  you 
should  fall  in  love  with  an  American  girl,  is  it?  You 
wouldn't  call  that  making  a  business  of  it,  would 
you?" 

"  You  may  rest  assured,  Mr.  Blithers,  that  I  shall 
marry  to  please  myself  and  no  one  else,"  said  Robin, 
regarding  him  with  a  coldness  that  for  an  instant  af- 
fected the  millionaire  uncomfortably. 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  after  a  moment  of  hard 
thinking,  "  it  may  interest  you  to  know  that  I  married 
for  love." 

"  It  does  interest  me,"  said  Robin.  "  I  am  glad 
that  you  did." 

"  I  was  a  comparatively  poor  man  when  I  married. 
The  girl  I  married  was  well-off  in  her  own  right.  She 
had  brains  as  well.  We  worked  together  to  lay  the 
foundation  for  a  —  well,  for  the  fortune  we  now  pos- 


"You  will  be  her  choice,"  said  the  other,  without  the 
quiver  of  an  eye-lash 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS      89 

sess.  A  fortune,  I  may  add,  that  is  to  go,  every  dol- 
lar of  it,  to  my  daughter.  It  represents  nearly  five 
hundred  million  dollars.  The  greatest  king  in  the 
world  to-day  is  poor  in  comparison  to  that  vast  es- 
tate. My  daughter  will  one  day  be  the  richest  woman 
in  the  world." 

"  Why  are  you  taking  the  pains  to  enlighten  me  as 
to  your  daughter's  future,  Mr.  Blithers  ?  " 

"  Because  I  regard  you  as  a  sensible  young  man, 
Prince." 

"  Thank  you.  And  I  suppose  you  regard  your 
daughter  as  a  sensible  young  woman  ?  " 

"  Certainly !  "  exploded  Mr.  Blithers. 

"  Well,  it  seems  to  me,  she  will  be  capable  of  taking 
care  of  her  fortune  a  great  deal  more  successfully  than 
you  imagine,  Mr.  Blithers.  She  will  doubtless  marry 
an  excellent  chap  who  has  the  capacity  to  increase 
her  fortune,  rather  than  to  let  it  stand  at  a  figure 
that  some  day  may  be  surpassed  by  the  possessions  of 
an  ambitious  king." 

There  was  fine  irony  in  the  Prince's  tone  but  no 
trace  of  offensiveness.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Blithers 
turned  a  shade  more  purple  than  before,  and  not  from 
the  violence  of  exercise.  He  was  having  some  diffi- 
culty in  controlling  his  temper.  What  manner  of  fool 
was  this  fellow  who  could  sneer  at  five  hundred  million 
dollars?  He  managed  to  choke  back  something  that 
rose  to  his  lips  and  very  politely  remarked : 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  like  her,  Prince.  If  I  do  say  it 
myself,  she  is  as  handsome  as  they  grow." 


90          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  So  I  have  been  told." 

"  You  will  see  her  to-night." 

"  Really,  Mr.  Blithers,  I  cannot  — " 

"  I'll  fix  it  with  Mrs.  King.     Don't  you  worry.5" 

"  May  I  be  pardoned  for  observing  that  Mrs.  King, 
greatly  as  I  love  her,  is  not  invested  with  the  power  to 
govern  my  actions?  "  said  Robin  haughtily. 

"  And  may  I  be  pardoned  for  suggesting  that  it  is 
jour  duty  to  your  people  to  completely  understand 
this  loan  of  mine  before  you  agree  to  accept  it?  "  said 
Mr.  Blithers,  compressing  his  lips. 

"  Forgive  me,  Mr.  Blithers,  but  it  is  not  altogether 
improbable  that  Graustark  may  secure  the  money 
elsewhere." 

"  It  is  not  only  improbable  but  impossible,"  said 
Mr.  Blithers  flatly. 

"  Impossible?  " 

"  Absolutely,"  said  the  millionaire  so  significantly 
that  Robin  would  have  been  a  dolt  not  to  grasp  the 
situation.  Nothing  could  have  been  clearer  than  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Blithers  believed  it  to  be  in  his  power  to 
block  any  effort  Graustark  might  make  in  other  direc- 
tions to  secure  the  much-needed  money. 

"  Will  you  come  to  the  point,  Mr.  Blithers  ?  "  said 
the  young  Prince,  stopping  abruptly  in  the  middle  of 
the  road  and  facing  his  companion.  "  What  are  you 
trying  to  get  at?  " 

Mr.  Blithers  was  not  long  in  getting  to  the  point. 
In  the  first  place,  he  was  hot  and  tired  and  his  shoes 
were  hurting ;  in  the  second  place,  he  felt  that  he  knew 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS       91 

precisely  how  to  handle  these  money-seeking  scions  of 
nobility.  He  planted  himself  squarely  in  front  of  the 
Prince  and  jammed  his  hands  deep  into  his  coat  pock- 
ets. 

"  The  day  my  daughter  is  married  to  the  man  of  my 
choice,  I  will  hand  over  to  that  man  exactly  twenty 
million  dollars,"  he  said  slowly,  impressively. 

"  Yes,  go  on." 

"The  sole  object  I  have  in  life  is  to  see  my  girl 
happy  and  at  the  same  time  at  the  top  of  the  heap. 
She  is  worthy  of  any  man's  love.  She  is  as  good  as 
gold.  She—" 

"  The  point  is  this,  then :  You  would  like  to  have 
me  for  a  son-in-law." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Blithers. 

Robin  grinned.  He  was  amused  in  spite  of  himself. 
*'  You  take  it  for  granted  that  I  can  be  bought  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  made  any  such  statement." 

"  And  how  much  will  you  hand  over  to  the  man  of 
Tier  choice  when  she  marries  him?  "  enquired  the  young 
man. 

"  You  will  be  her  choice,"  said  the  other,  without 
the  quiver  of  an  eye-lash. 

"  How  can  you  be  sure  of  that?  Has  she  no  mind 
of  her  own  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  incomprehensible  that  she  should  fall  in 
love  with  you,  is  it  ?  " 

"It  might  be  possible,  of  course,  provided  she  is 
not  already  in  love  with  some  one  else." 

Mr.  Blithers  started.     "Have  you  heard  any  one 


92 

say  that  —  but,  that's  nonsense!  She's  not  in  love 
with  any  one,  take  it  from  me.  And  just  to  show  you 
how  fair  I  am  to  her  —  and  to  you  —  I'll  stake  my 
head  you  fall  in  love  with  each  other  before  yoii've 
been  together  a  week." 

"  But  we're  not  going  to  be  together  for  a  week.9* 
"  I  should  have  said  before  you've  known  each  other 
a  week.     You  will  find  — " 

'  "  Just  a  moment,  please.  We  can  cut  all  this  very 
short,  and  go  about  our  business.  I've  never  seen 
your  daughter,  nor,  to  my  knowledge,  has  she  ever 
laid  eyes  on  me.  From  what  I've  heard  of  her,  she 
has  a  mind  of  her  own.  You  will  not  be  able  to  force 
her  into  a  marriage  that  doesn't  appeal  to  her,  and 
you  may  be  quite  sure,  Mr.  Blithers,  that  you  can't 
force  me  into  one.  I  do  not  want  you  to  feel  that  I 
have  a  single  disparaging  thought  concerning  Miss 
Blithers.  It  is  possible  that  I  could  fall  in  love  with 
her  inside  of  a  week,  or  even  sooner.  But  I  don't  intend 
to,  Mr.  Blithers,  any  more  than  she  intends  to  fall  in 
love  with  me.  You  say  that  twenty  millions  will  go 
to  the  man  she  marries,  if  he  is  your  choice.  Well,  I 
don't  give  a  hang,  sir,  if  you  make  it  fifty  millions. 
The  chap  who  gets  it  will  not  be  me,  so  what's  the 
odds?  You—" 

"  Wait  a  minute,  young  man,"  said  Mr.  Blithers 
coolly.  (He  was  never  anything  but  cool  when  under 
fire.)  "  Why  not  wait  until  you  have  met  my  daugh- 
ter before  making  a  statement  like  that?  After  all, 
am  I  not  the  one  who  is  taking  chances?  Well,  I'm 


THE  PRINCE  AND  MR.  BLITHERS       93 

willing  to  risk  my  girl's  happiness  with  you  and  that's 
saying  everything  when  you  come  right  down  to  it. 
She  will  make  you  happy  in  — " 

"  I  am  not  for  sale,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said  Robin  ab- 
ruptly.    "  Good  morning."     He  turned  into  the  wood 
and  was  sauntering  away  with  his  chin  high  in  the  air  ( 
wheij  Mr.  Blithers  called  out  to  him  from  behind. 

"I  shall  expect  you  to-night,  just  the  same." 

Robin  halted,  amazed  by  the  man's  assurance.  He 
retraced  his  steps  to  the  roadside. 

"  Will  you  pardon  a  slight  feeling  of  curiosity  on 
my  part,  Mr.  Blithers,  if  I  ask  whether  your  daughter 
consents  to  the  arrangement  you  propose.  Does  she 
approve  of  the  scheme?  " 

Mr.  Blithers  was  honest.  "  No,  she  doesn't,"  he 
said  succinctly.  "  At  least,  not  at  present.  I'll  be 
honest  with  you.  She  stayed  away  from  the  ball  last 
night  simply  because  she  did  not  want  to  meet  you. 
That's  the  kind  of  a  girl  she  is." 

"  By  j  ove,  I  take  off  my  hat  to  her,"  cried  Robin. 
"  She  is  a  brick,  after  all.  Take  it  from  me,  Mr. 
Blithers,  you  will  not  be  able  to  hand  over  twenty 
millions  without  her  consent.  I  believe  that  I  should 
enjoy  meeting  her,  now  that  I  come  to  think  of  it.  It 
would  be  a  pleasure  to  exchange  confidences  with  a  girl 
of  that  sort." 

Mr.  Blithers  betrayed  agitation.  "  See  here, 
Prince,  I  don't  want  her  to  know  that  I've  said  any- 
thing to  you  about  this  matter,"  he  said,  unconsciously 
lowering  his  voice  as  if  fearing  that  Maud  might  be 


04          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

somewhere  within  hearing  distance.  "  This  is  be- 
tween you  and  me.  Don't  breathe  a  word  of  it  to  her. 
'Gad,  she'd  —  she'd  skin  me  alive!"  At  the  very 
thought  of  it,  he  wiped  his  forehead  with  unusual 
vigour. 

Robin  laughed  heartily.  "  Rest  easy,  Mr.  Blither*,. 
I  shall  not  even  think  of  your  proposition  again,  much 
less  speak  of  it." 

"  Come  now,  Prince ;  wait  until  you've  seen  her.  I 
know  you'll  get  on  famously — " 

**  I  should  like  her  to  know  that  I  consider  her  a 
brick,  Mr.  Blithers.  Is  it  too  much  to  ask  of  you? 
Just  tell  her  that  I  think  she's  a  brick." 

"  Tell  her  yourself,"  growled  Mr.  Blithers,  looking 
very  black.  "  You  will  see  her  this  evening,"  he  added 
levelly. 

"  Shall  I  instruct  your  chauffeur  to  come  for  you  up 
here  or  will  you  walk  back  to  — " 

"I'll  walk  to  Red  Roof,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  dog- 
gedly. "  I'm  going  to  ask  Mrs.  King  to  let  you  off 
for  to-night," 


CHAPTER    VII 

A    LETTER    FROM    MAUD 

MR.  BLITHERS,  triumphant,  left  Red  Roof  shortly 
after  luncheon;  Mr.  Blithers,  dismayed,  arrived  at 
Blitherwood  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later.  He  had  had 
his  way  with  Robin,  who,  after  all,  was  coming  to 
dinner  that  evening  with  Count  Quinnox.  The 
Prince,  after  a  few  words  in  private  with  the  Count, 
changed  his  mind  and  accepted  Mr.  Blithers'  invita- 
tion with  a  liveliness  that  was  mistaken  for  eagerness 
by  that  gentleman,  who  had  made  very  short  work  of 
subduing  Mrs.  King  when  she  tried  to  tell  him  that 
her  own  dinner-party  would  be  ruined  if  the  principal 
guest  defaulted.  He  was  gloating  over  his  victory 
up  to  the  instant  he  reached  his  own  lodge  gates; 
There  dismay  sat  patiently  waiting  for  him  in  the 
shape  of  a  messenger  from  the  local  telegraph  office 
in  the  village  below.  He  had  seen  Mr.  Blithers  ap- 
proaching in  the  distance,  and,  with  an  astuteness 
that  argued  well  for  his  future  success  in  life,  calmly 
sat  down  to  wait  instead  of  pedaling  his  decrepit  bi- 
cycle up  the  long  slope  to  the  villa. 

He  delivered  a  telegram  and  kindly  vouchsafed  the 
information  that  it  was  from  New  York. 

Mr.  Blithers  experienced  a  queer  sinking  of  thft. 
heart  as  he  gazed  at  the  envelope.  Something  warned 

95 


96          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

him  that  if  he  opened  it  in  the  presence  of  the  mes- 
senger he  would  say  something  that  a  young  boy  ought 
not  to  hear. 

"  It's  from  Maud,"  said  the  obliging  boy,  beaming 
good-nature.  It  cost  him  a  quarter,  that  bit  of  gen- 
tility, for  Mr.  Blithers  at  once  said  something  that  a 
messenger  boy  ought  to  hear,  and  ordered  Jackson  to 
go  ahead. 

It  was  from  Maud  and  it  said:  "I  shall  stay  in 
town  a  few  days  longer.  It  is  delightfully  cool  here. 
Dear  old  Miranda  is  at  the  Ritz  with  me  and  we  are 
having  a  fine  spree.  Don't  worry  about  money.  I 
find  I  have  a  staggering  balance  in  the  bank.  The 
cashier  showed  me  where  I  had  made  a  mistake  in  sub- 
traction of  an  even  ten,  thousand.  I  was  amazed  to 
find  what  a  big  difference  a  little  figure  makes.  Have 
made  no  definite  plans  but  will  write  Mother  to-night. 
Please  give  my  love  to  the  Prince.  Have  you  seen 
to-day's  Town  Truth?  Or  worse,  has  he  seen  it?, 
Your  loving  daughter,  Maud." 

The  butler  was  sure  it  was  apoplexy,  but  the  chauf- 
feur, out  of  a  wide  experience,  announced,  behind  his 
hand,  that  he  would  be  all  right  the  instant  the  words 
ceased  to  stick  in  his  throat.  And  he  was  right.  Mr. 
Blithers  was  all  right.  Not  even  the  chauffeur  had 
seen  him  when  he  was  more  so. 

A  little  later  on,  after  he  had  cooled  off  to  a  quite 
considerable  extent,  Mr.  Blithers  lighted  a  cigar  and 
sat  down  in  the  hall  outside  his  wife's  bed-chamber 
door.  She  was  having  her  beauty  nap.  Not  even  he 


A  LETTER  FROM  MAUD  97 

possessed  the  temerity  to  break  in  upon  that.  He  sat 
and  listened  for  the  first  sound  that  would  indicate  the 
appeasement  of  beauty,  occasionally  hitching  his  chair 
a  trifle  nearer  to  the  door  in  the  agony  of  impatience. 
By  the  time  Jackson  returned  from  the  village  with 
word  that  a  copy  of  Town  Truth  was  not  to  be  had 
until  the  next  day,  he  was  so  close  to  the  door  that 
if  any  one  had  happened  to  stick  a  hat  pin  through 
the  keyhole  at  precisely  the  right  instant  it  would  have 
punctured  his  left  ear  with  appalling  results. 

"  What  are  we  going  to  do  about  it?  "  he  demanded 
three  minutes  after  entering  the  chamber.  His  wife 
was  prostrate  on  the  luxurious  couch  from  which  she 
had  failed  to  arise  when  he  burst  in  upon  her  with  the 
telegram  in  his  hand. 

"  Oh,  the  foolish  child,"  she  moaned.  "  If  she  only 
knew  how  adorable  he  is  she  wouldn't  be  acting  in  this 
perfectly  absurd  manner.  Every  girl  who  was  here 
last  night  is  madly  in  love  with  him.  Why  must  Maud 
be  so  obstinate?  " 

Mr.  Blithers  was  very  careful  not  to  mention  his 
roadside  experience  with  the  Prince,  and  you  may  be 
sure  that  he  said  nothing  about  his  proposition  to  the 
young  man.  He  merely  declared,  with  a  vast  bitter- 
ness in  his  soul,  that  the  Prince  was  coming  to  dinner, 
but  what  the  deuce  was  the  use? 

"  She  ought  to  be  soundly  —  spoken  to,"  said  he, 
breaking  the  sentence  with  a  hasty  gulp.  "  Now,  Lou, 
there's  just  one  thing  to  do.  I  must  go  to  New  York 
on  the  midnight  train  and  get  her.  That  woman  was 


98          THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

all  right  as  a  tutor,  but  hanged  if  I  like  to  see  a  daugh- 
ter of  mine  traipsing  around  New  York  with  a  school 
teacher.  She  — " 

"  You  forget  that  she  has  retired  on  a  competence. 
She  is  not  in  active  employment,  Will.  You  forget 
that  she  is  one  of  the  Van  Valkens." 

"  There  you  go,  talking  about  good  old  families 
again.  Why  is  it  that  so  blamed  many  of  your  fine 
old  blue  stockings  are  hunting  jobs  — " 

"  Now  don't  be  vulgar,  Will,"  she  cut  in.  "  Maud 
is  quite  safe  with  Miranda,  and  you  know  it  perfectly 
well,  so  don't  talk  like  that.  I  think  it  would  be  a 
fearful  mistake  for  you  to  go  to  New  York.  She 
would  never  forgive  you  and,  what  is  more  to  the  point, 
she  wouldn't  budge  a  step  if  you  tried  to  bully  her  into 
coming  home  with  you.  You  know  it  quite  as  well  as 
I  do." 

He  groaned.  "  Give  me  a  chance  to  think,  Lou. 
Just  half  a  chance,  that's  all  I  ask.  I'll  work  out 
some  — " 

"  Wait  until  her  letter  comes.  We'll  see  what  she 
has  to  say.  Perhaps  she  intends  coming  home  to- 
morrow, who  can  tell?  This  may  be  a  pose  on  her 
part.  Give  her  free  rein  and  she  will  not  pull  against 
the  bit.  It  may  surprise  her  into  doing  the  sensible 
thing  if  we  calmly  ignore  her  altogether.  I've  been 
thinking  it  over,  and  I've  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
we'll  be  doing  the  wisest  thing  in  the  world  if  we  pay 
absolutely  no  attention  to  her." 

"By  George,  I  believe  you've  hit  it,  Lou!     She'll 


A  LETTER  FROM  MAUD  99 

be  looking  for  a  letter  or  telegram  from  me  and  she'll 
not  receive  a  word,  eh?  She'll  be  expecting  us  to  beg 
her  to  come  back  and  all  the  while  we  just  sit  tight 
and  say  not  a  word.  We'll  fool  her,  by  thunder.  By 
to-morrow  afternoon  she'll  be  so  curious  to  know  what's 
got  into  us  that  she'll  come  home  on  a  run.  You're 
right.  It  takes  a  thief  to  catch  a  thief, —  which  is 
another  way  of  saying  that  it  takes  a  woman  to  under- 
stand a  woman.  We'll  sit  tight  and  let  Maud  worry 
for  a  day  or  two.  It  will  do  her  good." 

Maud's  continued  absence  was  explained  to  Prince 
Robin  that  evening,  not  by  the  volcanic  Mr.  Blithers 
but  by  his  practised  and  adroit  better-half  who  had  no 
compunction  in  ascribing  it  to  the  alarming  condition 
of  a  very  dear  friend  in  New  York, —  one  of  the  Van 
Valkens,  you  know. 

"  Maud  is  so  tender-hearted,  so  loyal,  so  really  sweet 
about  her  friends,  that  nothing  in  the  world  could 
have  induced  her  to  leave  this  dear  friend,  don't  you 
know." 

"  I  am  extremely  sorry  not  to  have  met  your  daugh- 
ter," said  Robin  very  politely. 

"  Oh,  but  she  will  be  here  in  a  day  or  two,  Prince." 

"  Unfortunately,  we  are  leaving  to-morrow,  Mrs. 
Blithers." 

"  To-morrow?"  murmured  Mrs.  Blithers,  aghast. 

"  I  received  a  cablegram  to-day  advising  me  to  re- 
turn to  Edelweiss  at  once.  We  are  obliged  to  cut 
short  a  very  charming  visit  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King 
and  to  give  up  the  trip  to  Washington.  Lieutenant 


100        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

Dank  left  for  New  York  this  afternoon  to  exchange 
our  reservations  for  the  first  ship  that  we  can  — " 

"What's  this?"  demanded  Mr.  Blithers,  abruptly 
withdrawing  his  attention  from  Count  Quinnox  who 
was  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence  when  the  interruption 
came.  They  were  on  the  point  of  going  out  to  dinner. 
"What's  this?" 

"  The  Prince  says  that  he  is  leaving  to-morrow  — " 

"  Nonsense ! "  exploded  Mr.  Blithers,  with  no  effort 
toward  geniality.  "  He  doesn't  mean  it.  Why, — 
why,  we  haven't  signed  a  single  agreement  — " 

"  Fortunately  it  isn't  necessary  for  me  to  sign  any- 
thing, Mr.  Blithers,"  broke  in  Robin  hastily.  "  The 
papers  are  to  be  signed  by  the  Minister  of  Finance, 
and  afterwards  my  signature  is  attached  in  approval. 
Isn't  that  true,  Count  Quinnox?  " 

"  I  daresay  Mr.  Blithers  understands  the  situation 
perfectly,"  said  the  Count. 

Mr.  Blithers  looked  blank.  He  did  understand  the 
situation,  that  was  the  worst  of  it.  He  knew  that 
although  the  cabinet  had  sanctioned  the  loan  by  cable, 
completing  the  transaction  so  far  as  it  could  be  com- 
pleted at  this  time,  it  was  still  necessary  for  the  Min- 
ister of  Finance  to  sign  the  agreement  under  the  royal 
seal  of  Graustark. 

"  Of  course  I  understand  it,"  he  said  bluntly. 
"  Still  I  had  it  in  mind  to  ask  the  Prince  to  put  his 
signature  to  a  sort  of  preliminary  document  which 
would  at  least  assure  me  that  he  would  sign  the  final 


A  LETTER  FROM  MAUD  101 

agreement  when  the  time  comes.  That's  only  fair, 
isn't  it?" 

"  Quite  fair,  Mr.  Blithers.  The  Prince  will  sign 
such  an  article  to-morrow  or  the  next  day  at  your 
office  in  the  city.  Pray  have  no  uneasiness,  sir.  It 
shall  be  as  you  wish.  By  the  way,  I  understood  that 
you/  solicitor  —  your  lawyer,  I  should  say, —  was  to 
be  here  this  evening.  It  had  occurred  to  me  that  he 
might  draw  up  the  statement, —  if  Mrs*  Blithers  will 
forgive  us  in  our  haste  — " 

"  He  couldn't  get  here,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  and  no 
more.  He  was  thinking  too  intently  of  something  more 
important.  "  What's  turned  up?  " 

"  Turned  up,  Mr.  Blithers?  " 

"  Yes • —  in  Groostock.  What's  taking  you  off  in 
such  a  hurry  ?  " 

"  The  Prince  has  been  away  for  nearly  six  months," 
said  the  Count,  as  if  that  explained  everything. 

"  Was  it  necessary  to  cable  for  him  to  come  home?  " 
persisted  the  financier. 

"  Graustark  and  Dawsbergen  are  endeavouring  to 
form  an  alliance,  Mr.  Blithers,  and  Prince  Robin's 
presence  at  the  capitol  is  very  much  to  be  desired  in 
connection  with  the  pro j  ect." 

"  What  kind  of  an  alliance  ?  " 

The  Count  looked  bored.  "  An  alliance  prescribed 
tor  the  general  improvement  of  the  two  races,  I  should 
say,  Mr.  Blithers."  He  smiled.  "  It  would  in  no  way 
impair  the  credit  of  Graustark,  however.  It  is  what 


102        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

you  might  really  describe  as  a  family  secret,  if  you 
will  pardon  my  flippancy." 

The  butler  announced  dinner. 

"  Wait  for  a  couple  of  days,  Prince,  and  I'll  send 
you  down  to  New  York  by  special  train,"  said  Mr. 
Blithers. 

"  Thank  you.  It  is  splendid  of  you.  I  daresay 
everything  will  depend  on  Dank's  success  in  — " 

"  Crawford,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  to  the  butler,  "  ask 
Mr.  Davis  to  look  up  the  sailings  for  next  week  and  let 
me  know  at  once,  will  you?  "  Turning  to  the  Prince, 
he  went  on :  "  We  can  wire  down  to-night  and  engage 
passage  for  next  week.  Davis  is  my  secretary.  I'll 
have  him  attend  to  everything.  And  now  let's  forget 
our  troubles." 

A  great  deal  was  said  by  her  parents  about  Maud's 
unfortunate  detention  in  the  city.  Both  of  them  were 
decidedly  upset  by  the  sudden  change  in  the  Prince's 
plans.  Once  under  pretext  of  whispering  to  Crawford 
about  the  wine,  Mr.  Blithers  succeeded  in  transmitting 
a  question  to  his  wife.  She  shook  her  head  in  reply, 
and  he  sighed  audibly.  He  had  asked  if  she  thought 
he'd  better  take  the  midnight  train. 

Mr.  Davis  found  that  there  were  a  dozen  ships  sail- 
ing the  next  week,  but  nothing  came  of  it,  for  the 
Prince  resolutely  declared  he  would  be  obliged  to  take 
the  first  available  steamer. 

"  We  shall  go  down  to-morrow,"  he  said,  and  even 
Mr.  Blithers  subsided.  He  looked  to  his  wife  in  des- 


A  LETTER  FROM  MAUD  103 

peration.  She  failed  him  for  the  first  time  in  her  life. 
Her  eyes  were  absolutely  messageless. 

"  I'll  go  down  with  you,"  he  said,  and  then  gave  his 
wife  a  look  of  defiance. 

The  next  morning  brought  Maud's  letter  to  her 
mother.  It  said :  "  Dearest  Mother :  I  enclose  the 
cutting  from  Town  Truth.  You  may  see  for  yourself 
•what  a  sickening  thing  it  is.  The  whole  world  knows 
by  this  time  that  the  ball  was  a  joke  —  a  horrible  joke. 
Everybody  knows  that  you  are  trying  to  hand  me  over 
to  Prince  Robin  neatly  wrapped  up  in  bank  notes. 
And  everybody  knows  that  he  is  laughing  at  us,  and  he 
isn't  alone  in  his  mirth  either.  What  must  the  Trux- 
ton  Kings  think  of  us?  I  can't  bear  the  thought  of 
meeting  that  pretty,  clever  woman  face  to  face.  I 
know  I  should  die  of  mortification,  for,  of  course,  she 
must  believe  that  I  am  dying  to  marry  anything  on 
earth  that  has  a  title  and  a  pair  of  legs.  Somehow 
I  don't  blame  you  and  dad.  You  really  love  me,  I 
know,  and  you  want  to  give  me  the  best  that  the  world 
affords.  But  why,  oh  why,  can't  you  let  me  choose 
for  myself  ?  I  don't  obj  ect  to  having  a  title,  but  I  do 
object  to  having  a  husband  that  I  don't  want  and  who 
certainly  could  not,  by  any  chance,  want  me.  You 
think  that  I  am  in  love  with  Channie  Scoville.  Well, 
I'm  not.  I  am  very  fond  of  him,  that's  all,  and  if  it 
came  to  a  pinch  I  would  marry  him  in  preference  to  any 
prince  on  the  globe.  To-day  I  met  a  couple  of  girls 
who  were  at  the  ball.  They  told  me  that  the  Prince  is 


104        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

adorable.  They  are  really  quite  mad  about  him,  and 
one  of  them  had  the  nerve  to  ask  what  it  was  going 
to  cost  dad  to  land  him.  Town  Truth  says  he  is  to 
cost  ten  millions!  Well,  you  may  just  tell  dad  that 
I'll  help  him  to  practice  economy.  He  needn't  pay; 
a  nickle  for  my  husband  —  when  I  get  him.  The 
world  is  small.  It  may  be  that  I  shall  come  upon  this 
same  Prince  Charming  some  place  before  it  is  too  late, 
and  fall  in  love  with  him  all  of  a  heap.  Loads  of  silly 
girls  do  fall  in  love  with  fairy  princes,  and  I'm  just  as 
silly  as  the  rest  of  them.  Ever  since  I  was  a  little 
kiddie  I've  dreamed  of  marrying  a  real,  lace-and-gold 
Prince,  the  kind  Miranda  used  to  read  about  in  the 
story  books.  B*ut  I  also  dreamed  that  he  loved  me. 
There's  the  rub,  you  see.  How  could  any  prince  love 
a  girl  who  set  out  to  buy  him  with  a  lot  of  silly  miK 
lions?  It's  not  to  be  expected.  I  know  it  is  done  in 
the  best  society,  but  I  should  want  my  prince  to  bs 
happy  instead  of  merely  comfortable.  I  should  want 
both  of  us  to  live  happy  ever  afterwards. 

"  So,  dearest  mother,  I  am  going  abroad  to  forget, 
Miranda  is  going  with  me  and  we  sail  next  Saturday 
on  the  Jupiter  I  think.  We  haven't  got  our  suite, 
but  Mr.  Bliss  says  he  is  sure  he  can  arrange  it  for  me. 
If  we  can't  get  one  on  the  Jupiter,  we'll  take  some 
other  boat  that  is  just  as  inconspicuous.  You  see,  I 
want  to  go  on  a  ship  that  isn't  likely  to  be  packed 
with  people  I  know,  for  it  is  my  intention  to  travel  in- 
cog, as  they  say  in  the  books.  No  one  shall  stare  at 
me  and  say :  '  There  is  that  Maud  Blithers  we  were 


A  LETTER  FROM  MAUD  105 

reading  about  in  Town  Truth  —  and  all  the  other 
papers  this  week.  Her  father  is  going  to  buy  a  prince 
for  her.' 

"  I  know  dad  will  be  perfectly  furious,  but  I'm  going 
or  die,  one  or  the  other.  Now  it  won't  do  a  bit  of  good 
to  try  to  stop  me,  dearest.  The  best  thing  for  you 
and  dad  to  do  is  to  come  down  at  once  and  say  good- 
bye to  me  —  but  you  are  not  to  go  to  the  steamer ! 
Never!  Please,  please  come,  for  I  love  you  both  and 
I  do  so  want  you  to  love  me.  Come  to-morrow  and 
kiss  your  horrid,  horrid,  disappointing,  loathsome 
daughter  —  and  forgive  her,  too." 

Mr.  Blithers  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  His  vary- 
ing emotions  manifested  themselves  with  peculiar  vivid- 
ness during  the  reading  of  the  letter  by  his  tearful 
wife.  At  the  outset  he  was  frankly  humble  and  con- 
trite; he  felt  bitterly  aggrieved  over  the  unhappy] 
position  in  which  they  innocently  had  placed  their 
cherished  idol.  Then  came  the  deep  breath  of  relief 
over  the  apparent  casting  away  of  young  Scoville,  fol- 
lowed by  an  angry  snort  when  Maud  repeated  the  re- 
mark of  her  girl  friend.  His  dismay  was  pathetic 
while  Mrs.  Blithers  was  fairly  gasping  out  Maud's  de- 
termination to  go  abroad,  but  before  she  reached  the 
concluding  sentences  of  the  extraordinary  missive,  he 
was  himself  again.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  was  al- 
most jubilant.  He  slapped  his  knee  with  resounding 
force  and  uttered  an  ejaculation  that  caused  his  wife 
to  stare  at  him  as  if  the  very  worst  had  happened:  he 
was  a  chuckling  lunatic ! 


106        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

'*  Immense !  "  he  exclaimed.     "  Immense !  " 

"  Oh,  Will !  "  she  sobbed. 

"  Nothing  could  be  better !  Luck  is  with  me,  Lou. 
It  always  is." 

"  In  heaven's  name,  what  are  you  saying,  Will?  " 

"  Great  Scott,  can't  you  see?  He  goes  abroad,  she 
goes  abroad.  See?  Same  ship.  See  what  I  mean? 
Nothing  could  be  finer.  They  — " 

"  But  I  do  not  want  my  child  to  go  abroad,"  wailed 
the  unhappy  mother.  "  I  cannot  bear  — " 

"Stuff  and  nonsense!  Brace  up!  Grasp  the  ro- 
mance. Both  of  'em  sailing  under  assumed  names. 
They  see  each  other  on  deck.  Mutual  attraction. 
Love  at  first  sight.  Both  of  'em.  Money  no  object. 
There  you  are.  Leave  it  to  me." 

"  Maud  is  not  the  kind  of  girl  to  take  up  with  a 
stranger  on  board — " 

"  Don't  glare  at  me  like  that !  Love  finds  the  way, 
it  doesn't  matter  what  kind  of  a  girl  she  is.  But  lis- 
ten to  me,  Lou;  we've  got  to  be  mighty  careful  that 
Maud  doesn't  suspect  that  we're  putting  up  a  job  on 
her.  She'd  balk  at  the  gang-plank  and  that  would 
be  the  end  of  it.  She  must  not  know  that  he  is  on 
board.  Now,  here's  the  idea,"  and  he  talked  on  in  a 
strangely  subdued  voice  for  fifteen  minutes,  his  en* 
thusiasm  mounting  to  such  heights  that  she  was  fairly 
lifted  to  the  seventh  heaven  he  produced,  and,  for  once 
in  her  life,  she  actually  submitted  to  his  bumptious 
argument  without  so  much  as  a  single  protesting  word 

The  down  train  at  two-seventeen  .Had  on  board  a, 


A  LETTER  FROM  MAUD  107 

most  distinguished  group  of  passengers,  according  to 
the  Pullman  conductor  whose  skilful  conniving  resulted 
in  the  banishment  of  a  few  unimportant  creatures  who 
had  paid  for  chairs  in  the  observation  coach  but  who 
had  to  get  out,  whether  or  no,  when  Mr.  Blithers 
loudly  said  it  was  a  nuisance  having  everything  on 
the  shady  side  of  the  car  taken  "  on  a  hot  day  like 
this."  He  surreptitiously  informed  the  conductor 
that  there  was  a  prince  in  his  party,  and  that  highly 
impressed  official  at  once  informed  ten  other  passengers 
that  they  had  no  business  in  a  private  car  and  would 
have  to  move  up  to  the  car  ahead  —  and  rather  quickly 
at  that. 

The  Prince  announced  that  Lieutenant  Dank  had! 
secured  comfortable  cabins  on  a  steamer  sailing  Satur- 
day, but  he  did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  mention  the  name 
of  the  boat  owing  to  his  determination  to  avoid  news- 
paper men,  who  no  doubt  would  move  heaven  and  earth 
for  an  interview,  now  that  he  had  become  a  person  of 
so  much  importance  in  the  social  world.  Indeed,  his 
indentity  was  to  be  more  completely  obscured  than  at 
any  time  since  he  landed  on  American  soil.  He 
thanked  Mr.  Blithers  for  his  offer  to  command  the 
"  royal  suite  "  on  the  Jupiter,  but  declined,  volunteer- 
ing the  somewhat  curt  remark  that  it  was  his  earnest 
desire  to  keep  as  far  away  from  royalty  as  possible  on 
the  voyage  over.  (A  remark  that  Mr.  Blithers 
couldn't  quite  fathom,  then  or  afterward.) 

Mrs.  Blithers'  retort  to  her  husband's  shocked  com- 
ment on  the  un-princely  appearance  of  the  young  man 


108        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

and  the  wofully  ordinary  suit  of  clothes  worn  by  the 
Count,  was  sufficiently  caustic,  and  he  was  silenced  — 
and  convinced.  Neither  of  the  distinguished  foreign- 
ers looked  the  part  of  a  nobleman. 

"  I  wouldn't  talk  about  clothes  if  I  were  you,"  Mrs. 
Blithers  had  said  on  the  station  platform.  "  Who 
would  suspect  you  of  being  one  of  the  richest  men  in 
America?  "  She  sent  a  disdainful  glance  at  his  baggy 
knees  and  bulging  coat  pockets,  and  for  the  moment 
he  shrank  into  the  state  of  being  one  of  the  poorest 
men  in  America. 

They  were  surprised  and  not  a  little  perplexed  by 
the  fact  that  the  Prince  and  his  companion  arrived  at 
the  station  quite  alone.  Neither  of  the  Kings  accom- 
panied them.  There  was,  Mrs.  Blithers  admitted,  food 
for  thought  in  this  peculiar  omission  on  the  part  of 
the  Prince's  late  host  and  hostess,  and  she  would  have 
given  a  great  deal  to  know  what  was  back  of  it.  The 
"  luggage  "  was  attended  to  by  the  admirable  Hobbs, 
there  being  no  sign  of  a  Red  Roof  servant  about  the 
place.  Moreover,  there  seemed  to  be  considerable  un- 
easiness noticeable  in  the  manner  of  the  two  foreigners. 
They  appeared  to  be  unnecessarily  impatient  for  the 
I  train  to  arrive,  looking  at  their  watches  now  and  again, 
and  frequently  sending  sharp  glances  down  the  village 
street  in  the  direction  of  Red  Roof.  Blithers  after- 
wards remarked  that  they  made  him  think  of  a  couple 
of  absconding  cashiers.  The  mystery,  however,  was 
never  explained. 

Arriving  at  the  Grand  Central  Terminal,  Prince 


A  LETTER  FROM  MAUD  109 

Robin  and  the  Count  made  off  in  a  taxi-cab,  smilingly 
declining  to  reveal  their  hotel  destination. 

"  But  where  am  I  to  send  my  attorney  with  the 
agreement  you  are  to  sign,  Prince?  "  asked  Mr.  Blith- 
ers, plainly  irritated  by  the  young  man's  obstinacy  in 
declining  to  be  "  dropped  "  at  his  hotel  by  the  Blithers 
motor. 

"  I  shall  come  to  your  office  at  eleven  to-morrow 
morning,  Mr.  Blithers,*'  said  Robin,  his  hat  in  his  hand. 
He  had  bowed  very  deeply  to  Mrs.  Blithers. 

"  But  that's  not  right,"  blustered  the  financier., 
"A  prince  of  royal  blood  hadn't  ought  to  visit  a 
money-grubber's  office.  It's  not  — " 

"  Noblesse  oblige,"  said  Robin,  with  his  hand  on  his 
heart.  "  It  has  been  a  pleasure  to  know  you,  Mrs. 
Blithers.  I  trust  we  may  meet  again.  If  you  should 
ever  come  to  Graustark,  please  consider  that  the  castle 
is  yours  —  as  you  hospitable  Americans  would  say." 

"We  surely  will,"  said  Mrs.  Blithers.  Both  the 
Prince  and  Count  Quinnox  bowed  very  profoundly,  and 
did  not  smile. 

"  And  it  will  be  ours,"  added  Mr.  Blithers,  more  to 
himself  than  to  his  wife  as  the  two  tall  figures  moved 
off  with  the  throng.  Then  to  his  wife :  "  Now  ta 
find  out  what  ship  they're  sailing  on.  I'll  fix  it  so 
they'll  have  to  take  the  Jupiter,  whether  they  want  to 
or  no*;." 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  wisdom  to  find  out  what  ship  Maud 
is  sailing  on,  Will?  It  seems  to  me  that  she  is  the 
real  problem."  / 


110        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Right  you  are ! "  said  he  instantly.  "  I  must  be 
getting  dotty  in  my  old  age,  Lou." 

They  were  nearing  the  Ritz  when  she  broke  a  pro- 
longed period  of  abstraction  by  suddenly  inquiring: 
"  What  did  you  mean  when  you  said  to  him  on  the 
train :  *  Better  think  it  over,  Prince/  and  what  did  he 
mean  by  the  insolent  grin  he  gave  you  in  reply?  " 

Mr.  Blithers  looked  straight  ahead. 

"  Business,"  said  he,  answering  the  first  question 
but  not  the  last. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

ON  BOAKD  THE  "  JTTPITEB  * 


A  GREY  day  at  sea.  The  Jupiter  seemed  to  be  slink- 
ing through  the  mist  and  drizzle,  so  still  was  the  world 
of  waters.  The  ocean  was  as  smooth  as  a  mill  pond; 
the  reflected  sky  came  down  bleak  and  drab  and  no 
wind  was  stirring.  The  rush  of  the  ship  through  the 
glassy,  sullen  sea  produced  a  fictitious  gale  across  the 
decks ;  aside  from  that  there  was  dead  calm  ahead  and 
behind. 

A  threat  seemed  to  lurk  in  the  smooth,  oily  face  of 
the  Atlantic.  Far  ahead  stretched  the  grey  barricade 
that  seemed  to  mark  the  spot  where  the  voyage  was  to 
end.  There  was  no  going  beyond  that  clear-cut  line. 
When  the  ship  came  up  to  it,  there  would  be  no  more 
water  beyond ;  naught  but  a  vast  space  into  which  the 
vessel  must  topple  and  go  on  falling  to  the  end  of  time. 
The  great  sirens  were  silent,  for  the  fog  of  the  night 
before  had  lifted,  laying  bare  a  desolate  plain.  The 
ship  was  sliding  into  oblivion,  magnificently  indifferent 
to  the  catastrophe  that  awaited  its  arrival  at  the  edge 
of  the  universe.  And  she  was  sailing  the  sea  alone. 
All  other  ships  had  passed  over  that  sinister  line  and 
were  plunging  toward  a  bottom  that  would  never  be 
reached,  so  long  is  eternity. 

The  decks  of  the  Jupiter  were  wet  with  the  almost 

invisible   drizzle    that   filled   the    air,   yet    they   were 

111 


112        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

swarming  with  the  busy  pedestrians  who  never  lose 
an  opportunity  to  let  every  one  know  that  they  are  on 
board.  No  ship's  company  is  complete  without  its  leg- 
stretchers.  They  who  never  walk  a  block  on  dry  land 
without  complaining,  right  manfully  lop  off  miles  when 
walking  on  the  water,  and  get  to  be  known  —  at  least 
visually  —  to  the  entire  first  cabin  before  they  have 
paraded  half  way  across  the  Atlantic.  (There  was 
once  a  man  who  had  the  strutting  disease  so  badly 
that  he  literally  walked  from  Sandy  Hook  to  Gaunt's 
Rock,  but,  who,  on  getting  to  London,  refused  to  walk 
from  the  Savoy  to  the  Cecil  because  of  a  weak  heart.) 
The  worst  feature  about  these  inveterate  water-walk- 
ers is  that  they  tread  quite  as  proudly  upon  other 
people's  feet  as  they  do  upon  their  own,  and  as  often 
as  not  they  appear  to  do  it  from  choice.  Still,  that 
is  another  story.  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  one 
we  are  trying  to  tell. 

To  resume,  the  decks  of  the  Jupiter  were  wet 
and  the  sky  was  drab.  New  York  was  twenty-four 
hours  astern  and  the  brief  Sunday  service  had  come  to 
a  peaceful  end.  It  died  just  in  time  to  escape  the 
horrors  of  a  popular  programme  by  the  band  amid- 
ships. The  echo  of  the  last  amen  was  a  resounding 
thump  on  the  big  bkss  drum. 

Three  tall,  interesting  looking  men  stood  leaning 
against  the  starboard  rail  of  the  promenade  deck,  un- 
mindful of  the  mist,  watching  the  scurrying  throng  of 
exercise  fiends.  Two  were  young,  the  third  was  old, 
and  of  the  three  there  was  one  who  merited  the  second 


ON  BOARD  THE  "  JUPITER  "          113 

glance  that  invariably  was  bestowed  upon  him  bj  the 
circling  passers-by.  Each  succeeding  revolution  in- 
creased the  interest  and  admiration  and  people  soon 
began  to  favour  him  with  frankly  unabashed  stares 
and  smiles  that  could  not  have  been  mistaken  for  any- 
thing but  tribute  to  his  extreme  good  looks. 

He  stood  between  the  gaunt,  soldierly  old  man  with 
the  fierce  moustache,  and  the  trim,  military  young  man 
with  one  that  was  close  cropped  and  smart.  Each 
wore  a  blue  serge  suit  and  affected  a  short  visored  cap 
of  the  same  material,  and  each  lazily  puffed  at  a  very 
commonplace  briar  pipe.  They  in  turn  were  watching 
the  sprightly  parade  with  an  interest  that  was  calmly 
impersonal.  They  saw  no  one  person  who  deserved 
more  than  a  casual  glance,  and  yet  the  motley  crowd 
passed  before  them,  apparently  without  end,  as  if  ex- 
pecting a  responsive  smile  of  recognition  from  the  tall 
young  fellow  to  whom  it  paid  the  honest  tribute  of 
curiosity. 

The  customary  he-gossip  and  perennial  snooper  who 
is  always  making  the  voyage  no  matter  what  ship  one 
takes  or  the  direction  one  goes,  nosed  out  the  purser 
and  discovered  that  the  young  man  was  R.  Schmidt  of 
Vienna.  He  was  busy  thereafter  mixing  with  the 
throng,  volunteering  information  that  had  not  been 
solicited  but  which  appeared  to  be  welcome.  Espe- 
cially were  the  young  women  on  board  grateful  to  the 
he-gossip,  when  he  accosted  them  as  a  perfect  stranger 
to  tell  them  the  name  of  another  and  even  more  perfect 
stranger. 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Evidently  an  Austrian  army  officer,"  he  always 
proclaimed,  and  that  seemed  to  settle  it. 

Luckily  he  did  not  overhear  R.  Schmidt's  impassive 
estimate  of  the  first  cabin  parade,  or  he  might  have 
had  something  to  repeat  that  would  not  have  pleased 
those  who  took  part  in  it. 

"  Queer  looking  lot  of  people,"  said  R.  Schmidt,  ind 
his  two  companions  moodily  nodded  their  heads. 

"  I  am  sorry  we  lost  those  rooms  on  the  Salammbo" 
said  the  younger  of  his  two  companions.  "  I  had  them 
positively  engaged,  money  paid  down." 

"  Some  one  else  came  along  with  more  money,  Dank," 
observed  R.  Schmidt.  "  We  ought  to  be  thankful  that 
we  received  anything  at  all.  Has  it  occurred  to  you 
that  this  boat  isn't  crowded?  " 

"  Not  more  than  half  full,"  said  the  older  man. 
"  All  of  the  others  appeared  to  be  packed  from  hold  to 
funnel.  This  must  be  an  unpopular  boat." 

"  I  don't  know  where  we'd  be,  however,  if  Mr.  Blith- 
ers hadn't  thought  of  the  Jupiter  almost  at  the  last 
minute,"  said  R.  Schmidt. 

"  Nine  day  boat,  though,"  growled  the  old  man. 

"  I  don't  mind  that  in  the  least.  She's  a  steady  old 
tub  and  that's  something." 

"  Hobbs  tells  me  that  it  is  most  extraordinary  to 
find  the  east  bound  steamers  crowded  at  this  season  of 
the  year,"l  said  Dank.  "  He  can't  understand  it  at 
all.  The  crowds  go  over  in  June  and  July  and  by 
this  time  they  should  be  starting  for  home.  I  thought 
we'd  have  no  difficulty  in  getting  on  any  one  of  the  big 


115 

boats,  but,  by  jove,  everywhere  I  went  they  said  they 
were  full  up." 

"  It  was  uncommonly  decent  of  Blithers  not  coming 
down  to  see  us  off,"  said  the  elderly  man,  who  was 
down  on  the  passenger  list  as  Totten.  "  I  was  appre- 
hensive, 'pon  my  soul.  He  stuck  like  a  leech  up  io  the 
last  minute." 

R.  Schmidt  was  reflecting.  "  It  struck  me  as,  queer 
that  he  had  not  heard  of  the  transfer  of  our  securities 
in  London." 

"  I  cannot  understand  Bernstein  &  Sons  selling  out 
at  a  time  when  the  price  of  our  bonds  is  considerably 
below  their  actual  value,"  said  Totten,  frowning.  "  A 
million  pounds  sterling  is  what  their  holdings  really 
represented;  according  to  the  despatches  they  must 
have  sold  at  a  loss  of  nearly  fifty  thousand  pounds.  It 
is  unbelievable  that  the  house  can  be  hard-pressed  for 
money.  There  isn't  a  sounder  concern  in  Europe  than 
Bernstein's." 

"  We  should  have  a  Marconi-gram  to-night  or  to- 
morrow in  regard  to  the  bid  made  in  Paris  for  the 
bonds  held  by  the  French  syndicate,"  said  Dank,  pull- 
ing at  his  short  moustache.  "  Mr.  Blithers  is  inves- 
tigating." 

"  There  is  something  sinister  in  all  this,"  said  R. 
Schmidt.  "  Who  is  buying  up  all  of  the  out-standing 
bonds  and  what  is  behind  the  movement?  London  has 
sold  all  that  were  held  there  and  Paris  is  approached 
on  the  same  day.  If  Paris  and  Berlin  should  sell, 
nearly  four  million  pounds  in  Graustark  bonds  will  be 


116        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

in  the  hands  of  people  whose  identity  and  motives  ap* 
pear  to  be  shrouded  in  the  deepest  mystery." 

"  And  four  million  pounds  represents  the  entire 
amount  of  our  bonds  held  by  outside  parties,"  said 
Totten,  with  a  significant  shake  of  his  grizzled  head. 
**  The  remainder  are  in  the  possession  of  our  own  in- 
stitutions and  the  people  themselves.  We  should  hear 
from  Edelweiss,  too,  in  response  to  my  cablegram. 
Perhaps  Romano  may  be  able  to  throw  light  on  the 
situation.  I  confess  that  I  am  troubled." 

"Russia  would  have  no  object  in  buying  up  our 
general  bonds,  would  she?  "  inquired  R.  Schmidt. 

"  None  whatever.  She  would  have  nothing  to  gain. 
Mr.  Blithers  assured  me  that  he  was  not  in  the  least 
apprehensive.  In  fact,  he  declared  that  Russia  would 
not  be  buying  bonds  that  do  not  mature  for  twelve 
years  to  come.  There  must  be  some  private  —  eh?" 

A  steward  was  politely  accosting  the  trio. 

"I  beg  pardon,  is  this  Mr.  Totten?" 

"Yes." 

"  Message  for  you,  sir,  at  the  purser's." 

"  Bring  it  to  my  stateroom,  Totten,"  said  R. 
Schmidt  briefly,  and  the  old  man  hurried  away  on  the 
heels  of  the  messenger. 

The  two  young  men  sauntered  carelessly  in  an  op- 
posite direction  and  soon  disappeared  from  the  deck. 
A  few  minutes  later,  Totten  entered  the  luxurious 
parlour  of  R.  Schmidt  and  laid  an  unopened  wireless 
message  on  the  table  at  the  young  man's  elbow. 


ON  BOARD  THE  «  JUPITER  »          117 

«  Open  it,  Totten." 

The  old  man  slit  the  envelope  and  glanced  at  the 
contents.  He  nodded  his  head  in  answer  to  an  un- 
spoken question. 

«  Sold?  "  asked  R.  Schmidt. 

"  Paris  and  Berlin,  both  of  them,  Prince.  Every 
bond  has  been  gobbled  up." 

"  Does  he  mention  the  name  of  the  buyer?  " 

"  Only  by  the  use  of  the  personal  pronoun.  He 
says  — '  I  have  taken  over  the  Paris  and  Berlin  hold- 
ings. All  is'  well.'  It  is  signed  '  B.'  So!  Now  we 
know." 

"By  jove!"  fell  from  the  lips  of  both  men,  and 
then  the  three  Graustarkians  stared  in  speechless 
amazement  at  each  other  for  the  space  of  a  minute  be- 
fore another  word  was  spoken. 

"  Blithers  !  "  exclaimed  Dank,  sinking  back  into  his 
chair. 

"  Blithers,"  repeated  Totten,  but  with  an  entirely 
different  inflection.  The  word  was  conviction  itself 
as  he  pronounced  it. 

R.  Schmidt  indulged  in  a  wry  little  smile.  "  It 
amounts  to  nearly  twenty  million  dollars,  Count. 
That's  a  great  deal  of  money  to  spend  in  the  pursuit 
of  an  idle  whim." 

"  Humph ! "  grunted  the  old  Count,  and  then  fa- 
voured the  sunny-faced  Prince  with  a  singularly  sharp 
glance.  "  Of  course,  you  understand  his  game  ?  " 

"Perfectly.      It's  as  clear  as  day.     He  intends  to 


118        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

be  the  crown  father-in-law.  I  suppose  he  will  expect 
Graustark  to  establish  an  Order  of  Royal  Grandfath- 
ers." 

"  It  may  prove  to  be  no  jest,  Robin,"  said  the  Count 
seriously. 

"My  dear  Quinnox,  don't  look  so  sad,"  cried  the 
Prince.  "  He  may  have  money  enough  to  buy  Graus- 
tark but  he  hasn't  enough  to  buy  grandchildren  that 
won't  grow,  you  know.  He  is  counting  chickens  be- 
fore they're  hatched,  which  isn't  a  good  business  prin- 
ciple, I'd  have  you  to  know." 

"  What  was  it  he  said  to  you  at  Red  Roof?  " 

"  That  was  nothing.     Pure  bluster." 

"He  said  he  had  never  set  his  heart  on  anything 
that  he  didn't  get  in  the  end,  wasn't  that  it?  " 

"  I  think  so.  Something  of  the  sort.  I  took  it  as 
a  joke." 

"  Well,  I  took  it  as  a  threat." 

"A  threat?" 

"  A  pleasant,  agreeable  threat,  of  course.  He  has 
set  his  heart  on  having  the  crown  of  Graustark  worn 
by  a  Blithers.  That  is  the  long  and  short  of  it." 

"  I  believe  he  did  say  to  me  in  the  woods  that  day 
that  he  could  put  his  daughter  on  any  throne  in  Eu- 
rope if  he  set  his  mind  to  the  job,"  said  the  Prince 
carelessly.  "  But  you  see,  the  old  gentleman  is  not 
counting  on  two  very  serious  sources  of  opposition 
when  it  comes  to  this  particular  case.  There  is  Maud, 
you  see, —  and  me." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  the  young  lady,"  said  the 


ON  BOARD  THE  "JUPITER"          119 

Count  sententiously.  "  The  opposition  may  falter  a 
bit  there,  and  half  of  his  battle  is  won." 

"  You  seem  to  forget,  Quinnox,  that  such  a  mar- 
riage is  utterly  impossible,"  said  the  Prince  coldly. 
"  Do  you  imagine  that  I  would  marry  — " 

"  Pardon  me,  highness,  I  said  half  the  battle  would 
be  won.  I  do  contemplate  a  surrender  on  your  part. 
You  are  a  very  pig-headed  young  man.  The  most  pig- 
headed I've  ever  known,  if  you  will  forgive  me  for  ex- 
pressing myself  so  — " 

"  You've  said  it  a  hundred  times,"  laughed  the 
Prince,  good-naturedly.  "  Don't  apologise.  Not 
only  you  but  the  entire  House  of  Nobles  have  char- 
acterised me  as  pig-headed  and  I  have  never  even 
thought  of  resenting  it,  so  it  must  be  that  I  believe 
it  to  be  true." 

"  We  have  never  voiced  the  opinion,  highness,  except 
in  reference  to  our  own  great  desire  to  bring  about  the 
union  between  our  beloved  ruler  and  the  Crown  Prin- 
cess of  — " 

"  So,"  interrupted  R.  Schmidt,  "  it  ought  to  be 
very  clear  to  you  that  if  I  will  not  marry  to  please 
my  loyal,  devoted  cabinet  I  certainly  shall  not  marry 
to  please  William  W.  Blithers.  No  doubt  the  excel- 
lent  Maud  is  a  most  desirable  person.  In  any  event, 
she  has  a  mind  of  her  own.  I  confess  that  I  am  sorry 
to  have  missed  seeing  her.  We  might  have  got  on 
famously  together,  seeing  that  our  point  of  view  is 
apparently  unique  in  this  day  and  age  of  the  world. 
No,  my  good  friends,  Mr.  Blithers  is  making  a  poor 


120        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

investment.  He  will  not  get  the  return  for  his  money 
that  he  is  expecting.  If  it  pleases  him  to  buy  our 
securities,  all  well  and  good.  He  shall  lose  nothing  in 
the  end.  But  he  will  find  that  Graustark  is  not  a  toy, 
nor  the  people  puppets.  More  than  all  that,  I  am 
not  a  bargain  sale  prince  with  Christmas  tree  aspira- 
tions, but  a  very  unamiable  devil  who  cultivates  an 
ambition  to  throw  stones  at  the  conventions.  Not 
only  do  I  intend  to  choose  my  wife  but  also  the  court 
grandfather.  And  now  let  us  forget  the  folly  of  Mr. 
Blithers  and  discuss  his  methods  of  business.  What 
does  he  expect  to  gain  by  this  extraordinary  invest- 
ment? " 

Count  Quinnox  looked  at  him  rather  pityingly.  "  It 
appears  to  be  his  way  of  pulling  the  strings,  my  boy. 
He  has  loaned  us  something  like  sixteen  millions  of 
dollars.  We  have  agreed  to  deposit  our  public  serv- 
ice bonds  as  security  against  the  loan,  so  that  practi- 
cally equalises  the  situation.  It  becomes  a  purely 
business  transaction.  But  he  sees  far  ahead.  This 
loan  of  his  matures  at  practically  the  same  time  that 
our  first  series  of  government  bonds  are  due  for  pay- 
ment. It  will  be  extremely  difficult  for  a  small  coun- 
try, such  as  Graustark,  to  raise  nearly  forty  millions 
of  dollars  in,  say  ten  years.  The  European  syndicates 
undoubtedly  would  be  willing  to  renew  the  loan  under 
a  new  issue  —  I  think  it  is  called  refunding,  or  some- 
thing of  the  sort.  But  Mr.  Blithers  will  be  in  a  posi- 
tion to  say  no  to  any  such  arrangement.  He  holds  the 
whip  hand  and — " 


ON  BOARD  THE  "JUPITER"          121 

"  But,  my  dear  Count,"  interrupted  the  Prince, 
"  what  if  he  does  hold  it  ?  Does  he  expect  to  wait  ten 
years  before  exercising  his  power?  You  forget  that 
marriage  is  his  ambition.  Isn't  he  taking  a  desperate 
risk  in  assuming  that  I  will  not  marry  before  the  ten 
years  are  up?  And,  for  that  matter,  his  daughter 
may  decide  to  wed  some  other  chap  who — " 

"  That's  just  the  point,"  said  Quinnox.  "  He  is 
arranging  it  so  that  you  can't  marry  without  his  con- 
sent." 

"  The  deuce  you  say !  " 

"  I  am  not  saying  that  he  can  carry  out  his  design, 
my  dear  boy,  but  it  is  his  secret  hope,  just  the  same. 
So  far  as  Graustark  is  concerned,  she  will  stand  by 
you  no  matter  what  betides.  As  you  know,  there  is 
nothing  so  dear  to  our  hearts  as  the  proposed  union- 
of  Dawsbergen's  Crown  Princess  and  — " 

"  That's  utterly  out  of  the  question,  Count,"  said 
the  Prince,  setting  his  jaws. 

The  count  sighed  patiently.  "  So  you  say,  my  boy, 
BO  you  say.  But  you  are  not  reasonable.  How  can 
you  know  that  the  Crown  Princess  of  Dawsbergen  is  not 
the  very  mate  your  soul  has  been  craving — " 

"  That's  not  the  point.  I  am  opposed  to  this  miser- 
able custom  of  giving  in  marriage  without  the  consent 
of  the  people  most  vitally  concerned,  and  I  shall  never 
recede  from  my  position." 

"  You  are  very  young,  my  dear  Prince." 

"  And  I  intend  to  remain  young,  my  dear  Count. 
Loveless  marriages  make  old  men  and  women  of  youths 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

and  maidens.  I  remember  thinking  that  remark  out 
for  myself  after  a  great  deal  of  effort,  and  you  may 
remember  that  I  sprung  it  with  considerable  effect  on 
the  cabinet  when  the  matter  was  formally  discussed  a 
year  or  two  ago.  You  heard  about  it,  didn't  you. 
Dink?  " 

'•  1  did,  highness." 

"  And  every  newspaper  in  the  world  printed  it  as 
coming  from  me,  didn't  they?  Well,  there  you  are. 
I  can't  go  behind  my  publicly  avowed  principles." 

The  young  fellow  stretched  his  long  body  in  a  sort 
of  luxurious  defiance,  and  eyed  his  companions  some- 
what combatively. 

"  Sounds  very  well,"  growled  the  Count,  with  scant 
reverence  for  royalty,  being  a  privileged  person. 

"  Now,  Dank  here  can  marry  any  one  he  likes  —  if 
she'll  have  him  —  and  he  is  only  a  lieutenant  of  the 
guard.  Why  should  I, —  prince  royal  and  master  of 
all  he  surveys,  so  to  speak, —  why  should  I  be  denied 
a  privilege  enjoyed  by  every  good-looking  soldier  who 
carries  a  sword  in  my  army  —  my  army,  do  you  under- 
stand? I  leave  it  to  you,  Dank,  is  it  fair?  Who  are 
you  that  you  should  presume  to  think  of  a  happy 
marriage  while  I,  your  Prince,  am  obliged  to  twiddle 
my  thumbs  and  say  '  all  right,  bring  any  old  thing 
along  and  I'll  marry  her  '?  Who  are  you,  Dank,  that's 
what  I'd  like  to  know." 

His  humour  was  so  high-handed  that  the  two  soldiers 
laughed  and  Dank  ruefully  admitted  that  he  was  a 
•lucky  dog. 


ON  BOARD  THE  "  JUPITER  " 

**  You  shall  not  marry  into  the  Blithers  family,  my 
lad,  if  we  can  help  it,"  said  the  Count,  pulling  at  his 
moustaches. 

"  I  should  say  not !  "  said  Dank,  feeling  for  his. 

"  I  should  as  soon  marry  a  daughter  of  Hobbs,"  said 
JR.  Schmidt,  getting  up  from  his  chair  with  restored! 
sprightliness.  "  If  he  had  one,  I  mean." 

"  The  bonds  of  matrimony  and  the  bonds  of  govern- 
ment are  by  no  means  synonymous,"  said  Dank,  and 
felt  rather  proud  of  himself  when  his  companions  fa- 
voured him  with  a  stare  of  amazement.  The  excellent 
lieutenant  was  not  given  to  persiflage.  He  felt  that 
for  a  moment  he  had  scintillated. 

"  Shall  we  send  a  wireless  to  Blithers  congratulating 
him  on  his  coup?  "  enquired  the  Prince  gaily. 

"  No,"  said  the  Count.  "  Congratulating  ourselves 
on  his  coup  is  better." 

"  Good !  And  you  might  add  that  we  also  are 
trusting  to  luck.  It  may  give  him  something  to 
think  about.  And  now  where  is  Hobbs?  "  said  roy- 
alty. 

M  Here,  sir,"  said  Hobbs,  appearing  in  the  bed-room 
door,  but  not  unexpectedly.  "  I  heard  wot  you  said 
about  my  daughter,  sir.  It  may  set  your  mind  at 
rest,  sir,  to  hear  that  I  am  childless." 

"  Thank  you,  Hobbs.  You  are  always  thinking  of 
my  comfort.  You  may  order  luncheon  for  us  in  the 
Ritz  restaurant.  The  head  steward  has  been  in- 
structed to  reserve  the  corner  table  for  the  whole  voy- 
age." 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  The  'ead  waiter,  sir,"  corrected  Hobbs  politely, 
and  was  gone. 

In  three  minutes  he  was  back  with  the  information 
that  two  ladies  had  taken  the  table  and  refused  to  be 
dislodged,  although  the  head  waiter  had  vainly  tried 
to  convince  them  that  it  was  reserved  for  the  passage 
by  R.  Schmidt  and  party. 

"  I  am  quite  sure,  sir,  he  put  it  to  them  very  hagree- 
ably  and  politely,  but  the  young  lady  gave  'im  the 
'aughtiest  look  I've  ever  seen  on  mortal  fice,  sir,  and 
he  came  back  to  me  so  'umble  that  I  could  'ardly  be- 
lieve he  was  an  'ead  waiter." 

"  I  hope  he  was  not  unnecessarily  persistent,"  said 
the  Prince,  annoyed.  "  It  really  is  of  no  consequence 
where  we  sit." 

"  Ladies  first,  world  without  end,"  said  Dank. 
*'  Especially  at  sea." 

"  He  was  not  persistent,  sir.  In  fact  he  was  hex- 
traordinary  subdued  all  the  time  he  was  hexplaining 
the  situation  to  them.  I  could  tell  by  the  way  his  back 
looked,  sir." 

"  Never  mind,  Hobbs.     You  ordered  luncheon  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  'ighness.  Chops  and  sweet  potatoes 
and—" 

"  But  that's  what  we  had  yesterday,  Hobbs." 

A  vivid  red  overspread  the  suddenly  dismayed  face 
of  Hobbs.  "  'Pon  my  soul,  sir,  I  —  I  clean  forgot 
that  it  was  yesterday  I  was  thinking  of.  The  young 
lady  gave  me  such  a  sharp  look,  sir,  when  the  'ead 


ON  BOARD  THE  "  JUPITER  "          125 

waiter  pointed  at  me  that  I  clean  forgot  wot  I  was 
there  for.  I  will  'urry  back  and  — " 

"  Do,  Hobbs,  that's  a  good  fellow.  I'm  as  hungry 
as  a  bear.  But  no  chops  !  " 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  No  chops.  Absolutely,  sir." 
He  stopped  in  the  doorway.  "  I  daresay  it  was  'er 
beauty,  sir,  that  did  it.  No  chops.  Quite  so,  sir." 

"  If  Blithers  were  only  here,"  sighed  Dank.  "  He 
would  make  short  work  of  the  female  invasion.  Pie 
would  have  them  chucked  overboard." 

"  I  beg  pardon,  sir,"  further  adventured  Hobbs, 
"  but  I  fancy  not  even  Mr.  Blithers  could  move  that 
young  woman,  sir,  if  she  didn't  'appen  to  want  to  be 
moved.  Never  in  my  life,  sir,  have  I  seen  — " 

"  Run  along,  Hobbs,"  said  the  Prince.  "  Boiled 
guinea  hen." 

"  And  cantaloupe,  sir.  Yes,  sir,  I  quite  remember 
everything  now,  sir." 

Twenty  minutes  later,  R.  Schmidt,  seated  in  the 
Bitz  restaurant,  happened  to  look  fairly  into  the  eyes 
of  the  loveliest  girl  he  had  ever  seen,  and  on  the  instant 
forgave  the  extraordinary  delinquency  of  the  hitherto 
infallible  Hobbs. 


CHAPTER     IX 

THE   PEINCE  MEETS  MISS  GUILE 

LATER  on  R.  Schmidt  sat  alone  in  a  sheltered  corner 
of  the  promenade  deck,  where  chairs  had  been  secured 
by  the  forehanded  Hobbs.  The  thin  drizzle  now  as- 
pired to  something  more  definite  in  the  shape  of  €i 
steady  downpour,  and  the  decks  were  almost  deserted^ 
save  for  the  few  who  huddled  in  the  unexposed  nooks 
where  the  sweep  and  swish  of  the  rain  failed  to  pene- 
trate. There  was  a  faraway  look  in  the  young  man's 
eyes,  as  of  one  who  dreams  pleasantly,  with  little  effort 
but  excellent  effect.  His  pipe  had  gone  out,  so  his 
dream  must  have  been  long  and  uninterrupted.  Eight 
bells  sounded,  but  what  is  time  to  a  dreamer?  Then 
came  one  bell  and  two,  and  now  his  eyes  were 
closed. 

Two  women  came  and  stood  over  him,  but  little  did 
they  suspect  that  his  dream  was  of  one  of  them:  the 
one  with  the  lovely  eyes  and  the  soft  brown  hair. 
They  surveyed  him,  whispering,  the  one  with  a  little 
perplexed  frown  on  her  brow,  the  other  with  distinct 
signs  of  annoyance  in  her  face.  The  girl  was  not  more 
than  twenty,  her  companion  quite  old  enough  to  be  her 
mother:  a  considerate  if  not  complimentary  estimate, 
for  a  girl's  mother  may  be  either  forty,  fifty  or  even 
fifty-five,  when  you  come  to  think  of  it. 

126 


THE  PRINCE  MEETS  MISS  GUILE      127 

They  were  looking  for  something.  That  was  quite 
clear.  And  it  was  deplorably  clear  that  whatever  it 
was,  R.  Schmidt  was  sitting  upon  it.  They  saw  that 
he  was  asleep,  which  made  the  search  if  not  the  actual 
recovery  quite  out  of  the  question.  The  older  woman, 
was  on  the  point  of  poking  the  sleeper  with  the  toe  of 
her  shoe,  being  a  matter-of-fact  sort  of  person,  when 
the  girl  imperatively  shook  her  head  and  frowned  upon 
the  lady  in  a  way  to  prove  that  even  though  she  was 
old  enough  to  be  the  mother  of  a  girl  of  twenty 
she  was  by  no  means  the  mother  of  this  one. 

At  that  very  instant,  R.  Schmidt  opened  his  eyes. 
It  must  have  been  a  kindly  poke  by  the  god  of  sleep 
that  aroused  him  so  opportunely,  but  even  so,  the  toe 
of  a  shoe  could  not  have  created  a  graver  catastrophe 
than  that  which  immediately  befell  him.  He  com- 
pletely lost  his  head.  If  one  had  suddenly  asked  what 
had  become  of  it,  he  couldn't  have  told,  not  for  the  life 
of  him.  For  that  matter,  he  couldn't  have  put  his- 
finger,  so  to  speak,  on  any  part  of  his  person  and  pro- 
claimed with  confidence  that  it  belonged  to  R.  Schmidt 
of  Vienna.  He  was  looking  directly  up  into  a  pair  of 
dark,  startled  eyes,  in  which  there  was  a  very  pretty 
confusion  and  a  far  from  impervious  blink. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  the  older  woman,  with- 
out the  faintest  trace  of  embarrassment, —  indeed,  with 
some  asperity, — "  I  think  you  are  occupying  one  of 
our  chairs." 

He  scrambled  out  of  the  steamer  rug  and  came  to 
his  feet,  blushing  to  the  roots  of  his  hair. 


128        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  stammered,  and  found  his 
awkwardness  rewarded  by  an.  extremely  sweet  smile  — 
in  the  eyes  of  the  one  he  addressed. 

"  We  were  looking  for  a  letter  that  I  am  quite  sure 
was  left  in  my  chair,"  said  she. 

"  A  letter?  "  he  murmured  vaguely,  and  at  once  be- 
gan to  search  with  his  eyes. 

"  From  her  father,"  volunteered  the  elderly  one,  as 
if  it  were  a  necessary  bit  of  information.  Then  she 
jerked  the  rug  away  and  three  pairs  of  eyes  examined 
the  place  where  R.  Schmidt  had  been  reclining. 
"  That's  odd.  Did  you  happen  to  see  it  when  you  sat 
down,  sir?" 

"  I  am  confident  that  there  was  no  letter  — "  began 
he,  and  then  allowed  his  gaze  to  rest  on  the  name-card 
at  the  top  of  the  chair.  "  This  happens  to  be  my 
chair,  madam,"  he  went  on,  pointing  to  the  card. 
**  '  R.  Schmidt.'  I  am  very  sorry." 

"  The  steward  must  have  put  that  card  there  while 
you  were  at  luncheon,  dear.  What  right  has  he  to  sell 
our  chairs  over  again?  I  shall  report  this  to  the  Cap- 
tain — " 

"  I  am  quite  positive  that  this  is  my  chair,  sir,"  said 
the  girl,  a  spot  of  red  in  each  cheek.  "  It  was  en- 
gaged two  days  ago.  I  have  been  occupying  it  since 
* —  but  it  really  doesn't  matter.  It  has  your  name  on 
it  now,  so  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to — " 

**  Not  at  all,"  he  made  haste  to  say.  "  It  35  yours. 
There  has  been  some  miserable  mistake.  These  deck 
stewards  are  always  messing  things  up.  Still,  it  is 


THE  PRINCE  MEETS  MISS  GUILE      129 

rather  a  mystery  about  the  letter.  I  assure  you  I 
saw  no  — " 

"  No  doubt  the  steward  who  changed  the  cards  had 
sufficient  intelligence  to  remove  all  incriminating  evi- 
dence," said  she  coolly.  "  We  shall  find  it  among  the 
lost,  strayed  and  stolen  articles,  no  doubt.  Pray  re- 
tain the  chair,  Mr. — "  She  peered  at  the  name- 
card  — "  Mr.  Schmidt." 

Her  cool  insolence  succeeded  in  nettling  a  nature 
that  was  usually  most  gentle.  He  spoke  with  char- 
acteristic directness. 

"  Thank  you,  I  shall  do  so.  We  thereby  manage  to 
strike  a  fair  average.  I  seize  your  deck  chair,  you 
seize  my  table.  We  are  quits." 

She  smiled  faintly.  "  R.  Schmidt  did  not  sound 
young  and  gentle,  but  old  and  hateful.  That  is  why 
I  seized  the  table.  I  expected  to  find  R.  Schmidt  a 
fat,  old  German  with  very  bad  manners.  Instead,  you 
are  neither  fat,  old,  nor  disagreeable.  You  took  it 
very  nicely,  Mr.  Schmidt,  and  I  am  undone.  Won't 
you  permit  me  to  restore  your  table  to  you  ?  " 

The  elderly  lady  was  tapping  the  deck  with  a  most 
impatient  foot.  "  Really  my  dear,  we  were  quite 
within  our  rights  in  approaching  the  head  waiter. 
He—" 

"  He  said  it  was  engaged,"  interrupted  the  young 
lady.  "  R.  Schmidt  was  the  name  he  gave  and  I  in- 
formed him  it  meant  nothing  to  me.  I  am  very  sorry, 
Mr.  Schmidt.  I  suppose  it  was  all  because  I  am  so  ac- 
customed to  having  my  own  way." 


130        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  In  that  case,  it  is  all  very  easy  to  understand," 
said  he,  "  for  I  have  always  longed  to  be  in  a  position 
where  I  could  have  my  own  way.  I  am  sure  that  if  I 
could  have  it,  I  would  be  a  most  overbearing,  selfish 
person." 

"We  must  enquire  at  the  office  for  the  letter,  my 
dear,  before — " 

"  It  may  have  dropped  behind  the  chair,"  said  the 
girl 

"  Right ! "  cried  R.  Schmidt,  dragging  the  chair 
away  and  pointing  in  triumph  at  the  missing  letter. 
He  stooped  to  recover  the  missive,  but  she  was  quick  to 
forestall  him.  With  a  little  gasp  she  pounced  upon  it 
and,  like  a  child  proceeded  to  hold  it  behind  her  back. 
He  stiffened.  "  I  remember  that  you  said  it  was  from 
your  father." 

She  hesitated  an  instant  and  then  held  it  forth  for 
his  inspection,  rather  adroitly  concealing  the  post- 
mark with  her  thumb.  It  was  addressed  to  "  Miss  B. 
Guile,  S.  S.  Jupiter,  New  Y9rk  City,  N.  Y.,"  and 
type-written. 

"  It  is  only  fair  that  we  should  be  quits  in  every 
particular,"  she  said,  with  a  frank  smile. 

He  bowed.  "  A  letter  of  introduction,"  he  said, 
"  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  word.  You  have  al- 
ready had  my  card  thrust  upon  you,  so  everything  is 
quite  regular.  And  now  it  is  only  right  and  proper 
that  I  should  see  what  has  become  of  your  chairs. 
Permit  me — " 

"  Really,  Miss  Guile,"  interposed  her  companion, 


THE  PRINCE  MEETS  MISS  GUILE      131 

"  this  is  quite  irregular.  I  may  say  it  is  unusual. 
Pray  allow  me  to  suggest  — " 

"  I  think  it  is  only  right  that  Mr.  Schmidt  should 
return  good  for  evil,"  interrupted  the  girl  gaily. 
"  Please  enquire,  Mr.  Schmidt.  No  doubt  the  deck 
steward  will  know." 

Again  the  Prince  bowed,  but  this  time  there  was 
amusement  instead  of  uncertainty  in  his  eyes.  It  was 
the  first  time  that  any  one  had  ever  urged  him,  even 
by  inference,  to  "  fetch  and  carry."  Moreover,  she 
was  extremely  cool  about  it,  as  one  who  exacts  much 
of  young  men  in  serge  suits  and  outing-caps.  He 
found  himself  wondering  what  she  would  say  if  he  were 
to  suddenly  announce  that  he  was  the  Prince  of  Graus- 
tark.  The  thought  tickled  his  fancy,  accounting,  no 
doubt,  for  the  even  deeper  bow  that  he  gave  her. 

"  They  can't  be  very  far  away,"  he  observed  quite 
meekly.  "  Oh,  I  say,  steward !  One  moment,  here." 
!A  deck  steward  approached  with  alacrity.  "  What 
has  become  of  Miss  Guile's  chair?  " 

The  man  touched  his  cap  and  beamed  joyously  upon 
the  fair  young  lady. 

"  Ach !  See  how  I  have  forgot !  It  is  her^ !  The 
best  place  on  the  deck  —  on  any  deck.  See !  Two  — 
side  by  side, —  above  the  door,  away  from  the  draft  — 
see,  in  the  corner,  ha,  ha !  Yes !  Two  by  side.  The 
very  best.  Miss  Guile  complains  of  the  draft  from 
the  door.  I  exchanged  the  chairs.  See!  But  I  for- 
got to  speak.  Yes !  See !  " 

And,  sure  enough,  there  were  the  chairs  of  Miss 


132         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

Guile  and  her  companion  snugly  stowed  away  in  the 
corner,  standing  at  right  angles  to  the  long  row  that 
lined  the  deck,  the  foot  rests  pointed  directly  at  the 
chair  R.  Schmidt  had  just  vacated,  not  more  than  a 
yard  and  a  half  away. 

"How  stupid!"  exclaimed  Miss  Guile.  "Thank 
you,  steward.  This  is  much  better.  So  sorry,  Mr. 
Schmidt,  to  have  disturbed  you.  I  abhor  drafts,  don't 
you?  " 

"  Not  to  the  extent  that  I  shall  move  out  of  this 
one,"  he  replied  gallantly,  "  now  that  I've  got  an  un- 
disputed claim  to  it.  I  intend  to  stand  up  for  my 
rights,  Miss  Guile,  even  though  you  find  me  at  your 
feet." 

"  How  perfectly  love  — "  began  Miss  Guile,  a  gleam 
of  real  enthusiasm  in  her  eyes.  A  sharp,  horrified  look 
from  her  companion  served  as  a  check,  and  she  became 
at  once  the  coolly  indifferent  creature  who  exacts 
everything.  "  Thank  you,  Mr.  Schmidt,  for  being  so 
nice  when  we  were  trying  so  hard  to  be  horrid." 

"  But  you  don't  know  how  nice  you  are  when  you 
are  trying  to  be  horrid,"  he  remarked.  "  Are  you  not 
going  to  sit  down,  now  that  we've  captured  the  disap- 
pearing chair?  " 

"  No,"  she  said,  and  he  fancied  he  saw  regret  in  her! 
eyes.     "  I  am  going  to  my  room, —  if  I  can  find  it. 
No  doubt  it  also  is  lost.     This  seems  to  be  a  day  for 
misplacing  things." 

"  At  any  rate,  permit  me  to  thank  you  for  discov- 
ering me,  Miss  Guile." 


THE  PRINCE  MEETS  MISS  GUILE      133 

"  Oh,  I  daresay  I  shall  misplace  you,  too,  Mr. 
Schmidt."  She  said  it  so  insolently  that  he  flushed 
as  he  drew  himself  up  and  stepped  aside  to  allow  her 
to  pass.  For  an  instant  their  eyes  met,  and  the  sign 
of  the  humble  was  not  to  be  found  in  the  expression 
of  either. 

"  Even  that  will  be  something  for  me  to  look  for- 
ward to.  Miss  Guile,"  said  he.  Far  from  being  vexed, 
she  favoured  him  with  a  faint  smile  of  —  was  it  wonder 
or  admiration? 

Then  she  moved  away,  followed  by  the  uneasy  lady 
< —  who  was  old  enough  to  be  her  mother  and  wasn't. 

Robin  remained  standing  for  a  moment,  looking 
after  her,  and  somehow  he  felt  that  his  dream  was  not 
yet  ended.  She  turned  the  corner  of  the  deck  build- 
ing and  was  lost  to  sight.  He  sat  down,  only  to 
arise  almost  instantly,  moved  by  a  livelier  curiosity 
than  he  ever  had  felt  before.  Conscious  of  a  certain 
feeling  of  stealth,  he  scrutinised  the  cards  in  the  backs 
of  the  two  chairs.  The  steward  was  collecting  the  dis- 
carded steamer-rugs  farther  down  the  deck,  and  the 
few  passengers  who  occupied  chairs,  appeared  to  be 
snoozing, —  all  of  which  he  took  in  with  his  first  ap- 
praising glance.  "  Miss  Guile  "  and  "  Mrs.  Gaston  " 
were  the  names  he  read. 

"  Americans,"  he  mused.  "  Young  lady  and  chap- 
erone,  that's  it.  A  real  American  beauty!  And 
Blithers  loudly  boasts  that  his  daughter  is  the  prettiest 
girl  in  America!  Shades  of  Venus!  Can  there  be 
such  a  thing  on  earth  as  a  prettier  girl  than  this  one? 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

Can  nature  have  performed  the  impossible?  Is 
America  so  full  of  lovely  girls  that  this  one  must  take 
second  place  to  a  daughter  of  Blithers?  I  wonder  if 
she  knows  the  imperial  Maud.  I'll  make  it  a  point 
to  inquire." 

Moved  by  a  sudden  restlessness,  he  decided  that  he 
was  in  need  of  exercise.  A  walk  would  do  him  good. 
The  same  spirit  of  restlessness,  no  doubt,  urged  him 
to  walk  rather  rapidly  in  the  direction  opposite  to 
that  taken  by  the  lovely  Miss  Guile.  After  com- 
pletely circling  the  deck  once  he  decided  that  he  did 
not  need  the  exercise  after  all.  His  walk  had  not 
benefitted  him  in  the  least.  She  had  gone  to  her  room. 
He  returned  to  his  chair,  conscious  of  having  been 
defeated  but  without  really  knowing  why  or  how. 
As  he  turned  into  the  dry,  snug  corner,  he  came  to 
an  abrupt  stop  and  stared.  Miss  Guile  was  sitting  in 
her  chair,  neatly  encased  in  a  mummy-like  sheath  of 
grey  that  covered  her  slim  body  to  the  waist. 

She  was  quite  alone  in  her  nook,  and  reading.     Evi- 
dently the  book  interested  her,  for  she  failed  to  look  up 
when  he  clumsily  slid  into  his  chair  and  threw  the 
rug   over  his   legs  —  dreadfully   long,   uninteresting , 
legs,  he  thought,  as  he  stretched  them  out  and  found; 
that  his  feet  protruded  like  a  pair  of  white  obelisks. 

Naturally  he  looked  seaward,  but  in  his  mind's  eye 
he  saw  her  as  he  had  seen  her  not  more  than  ten  minutes 
before:  a  slim,  tall  girl  in  a  smart  buff  coat,  with  a 
limp  white  hat  drawn  down  over  her  hair  by  means  of  a 
bright  green  veil ;  he  had  had  a  glimpse  of  staunch  tan 


walking-shoes.  He  found  himself  wondering  how  he 
had  missed  her  in  the  turn  about  the  deck,  and  how 
she  could  have  ensconced  herself  so  snugly  during  his 
brief  evacuation  of  the  spot.  Suddenly  it  occurred  to 
him  that  she  had  returned  to  the  chair  only  after 
discovering  that  his  was  vacant.  It  wasn't  a  very 
gratifying  conclusion. 

An  astonishing  intrepidity  induced  him  to  speak 
to  her  after  a  lapse  of  five  or  six  minutes,  and  so  sur- 
prising was  the  impulse  that  he  blurted  out  his  ques- 
tion without  preamble. 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  get  back  so  quickly  ?  " 
he  inquired. 

She  looked  up,  and  for  an  instant  there  was  some- 
thing like  alarm  in  her  lovely  eyes,  as  of  one  caught  in 
the  perpetration  of  a  guilty  act. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  said,  rather  indis- 
tinctly. 

"  I  was  away  less  than  eight  minutes,"  he  declared, 
and  she  was  confronted  by  the  wonderfully  frank 
smile  that  never  failed  to  work  its  charm.  To  his 
surprise,  a  shy  smile  grew  in  her  eyes,  and  her  warm 
red  lips  twitched  uncertainly.  He  had  expected  a 
cold  rebuff.  "  You  must  have  dropped  through  the 
awning." 

"  Your  imagination  is  superior  to  that  employed 
by  the  author  of  this  book,"  she  said,  "  and  that  is 
saying  a  good  deal,  Mr. —  Mr. — " 

"  Schmidt,"  he  supplied  cheerfully.  "  May  I  in- 
quire what  book  you  are  reading?  " 


136        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  You  would  not  be  interested.  It  is  by  an  Amer- 
ican." 

"  I  have  read  a  great  many  American  novels,"  said 
he  stiffly.  "  My  father  was  an  American.  Awfully 
jolly  books,  most  of  them." 

"  I  looked  you  up  in  the  passenger  list  a  moment 
ago,"  she  said  coolly.  "  Your  home  is  in  Vienna.  I 
like  Vienna." 

He  was  looking  rather  intently  at  the  book,  now 
partly  lowered.  "  Isn't  that  the  passenger  list  you 
have  concealed  in  that  book?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I*  is,"  she  replied  promptly.  "  You  will  pardon 
a  natural  curiosity?  I  wanted  to  see  whether  you  were 
from  New  York." 

"  May  I  look  at  it,  please?  " 

She  closed  the  book.  "  It  isn't  necessary.  I  am 
from  New  York." 

"  By  the  way,  do  you  happen  to  know  a  Miss 
Blithers, —  Maud  Blithers?  " 

Miss  Guile  frowned  reflectively.  "  Blithers  ?  The 
name  is  a  familiar  one.  Maud  Blithers?  What  is  she 
like?" 

"  She's  supposed  to  be  very  good-looking.  I've 
never  seen  her." 

"  How  queer  to  be  asking  me  if  I  know  her,  then. 
Why  do  you  ask?  " 

"  I've  heard  so  much  about  her  lately.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  William  Blithers,  the  great  capitalist." 

"  Oh,  I  know  who  he  is,"  she  exclaimed.  "  Perfect 
poodles  of  money,  hasn't  he  ?  " 


THE  PRINCE  MEETS  MISS  GUILE      137 

"Hoodies?" 

"  Loads,  if  it  means  more  to  you.  I  forgot  that 
you  are  a  foreigner.  He  gave  that  wonderful  ball 
last  week  for  the  Prince  of  —  of  —  Oh,  some  insig- 
nificant little  place  over  in  Europe.  There  are  such 
a  lot  of  queer  little  duchies  and  principalities,  don't 
you  know;  it  is  quite  impossible  to  tell  one  from  the 
other.  They  don't  even  appear  on  the  maps." 

He  took  it  with  a  perfectly  straight  face,  though 
secretly  annoyed.  "  It  was  the  talk  of  the  town,  that 
ball.  It  must  have  cost  roodles  of  money.  Is  that 
right?" 

"  Yes,  but  it  doesn't  sound  right  when  you  say  it. 
Naturally  one  doesn't  say  roodles  in  Vienna." 

"  We  say  noodles,"  said  he.  "  I  am  very  fond  of 
them.  But  to  resume ;  I  supposed  every  one  in  New 
York  knew  Miss  Blithers.  She's  quite  the  rage,  I'm 
told." 

"  Indeed?  I  should  think  she  might  be,  Mr. 
Schmidt,  with  all  those  lovely  millions  behind 
her." 

He  smiled  introspectively.  "  Yes ;  and  I  am  told 
that,  in  spite  of  them,  she  is  the  prettiest  girl  in  New 
York." 

She  appeared  to  lose  interest  in  the  topic.  "  Oh, 
indeed?  " 

"  But,"  he  supplemented  gracefully,  "  it  isn't  true." 

"What  isn't  true?" 

"  The  statement  that  she  is  the  prettiest  girl  in 
New  York." 


138         THE,  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  How  can  you  say  that,  when  you  admit  you've 
never  seen  her?  " 

"  I  can  say  it  with  a  perfectly  clear  conscience,  Miss 
Guile,"  said  he,  and  was  filled  with  delight  when  she 
bit  her  lip  as  a  sign  of  acknowledgment. 

"  Oh,  here  comes  the  tea,"  she  cried,  with  a  strange 
eagerness  in  her  voice.  "  I  am  so  glad."  She  scram- 
bled gracefully  out  of  her  rug  and  arose  to  her  feet. 

"Aren't  you  going  to  have  some?  "  he  cried. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  quite  pointedly.  "  In  my  room, 
Mr.  Schmidt,"  and  before  he  could  get  to  his  feet  she 
was  moving  away  without  so  much  as  a  nod  or  smile 
for  him.  Indeed,  she  appeared  to  have  dismissed  him 
from  her  thoughts  quite  as  completely  as  from  her 
vision.  He  experienced  a  queer  sensation  of  shrivel- 
ling. 

At  dinner  that  night,  she  failed  to  look  in  his  direc- 
tion, a  circumstance  that  may  not  appear  extraor- 
dinary when  it  is  stated  that  she  purposely  or  inad- 
vertently exchanged  seats  with  Mrs.  Gaston  and  sat 
with  her  back  to  the  table  occupied  by  R.  Schmidt 
and  his  friends.  He  had  to  be  content  with  a  view 
of  the  most  exquisite  back  and  shoulders  that  good 
fortune  had  ever  allowed  him  to  gaze  upon.  And  then 
there  was  the  way  that  her  soft  brown  hair  grew  above 
the  slender  neck,  to  say  nothing  of  —  but  Mrs.  Gaston 
was  watching  him  with  most  unfriendly  eyes,  so  the 
feast  was  spoiled. 

The  following  day  was  as  unlike  its  predecessor  as 
black  is  like  white.  During  the  night  the  smooth 


THE  PRINCE  MEETS  MISS  GUILE      139 

grey  pond  had  been  transformed  into  a  turbulent, 
storm-threshed  ocean;  the  once  gentle  wind  was  now 
a  howling  gale  that  swept  the  decks  with  a  merciless 
lash  in  its  grip  and  whipped  into  submission  all  who 
Taingloriously  sought  to  defy  its  chill  dominion.  Not 
rain,  but  spray  from  huge,  swashing  billows,  clouded 
the  decks,  biting  and  cutting  like  countless  needles, 
each  drop  with  the  sting  of  a  hornet  behind  it.  Now 
the  end  of  the  world  seemed  far  away,  and  the  jump- 
ing off  place  was  a  rickety  wall  of  white  and  black, 
leaning  against  a  cold,  drear  sky. 

Only  the  hardiest  of  the  passengers  ventured  on 
deck ;  the  exhilaration  they  professed  was  but  another 
name  for  bravado.  They  shivered  and  gasped  for 
breath  as  they  forged  their  bitter  way  into  the  gale, 
and  few  were  they  who  took  more  than  a  single  turn 
of  the  deck.  Like  beaten  cowards  they  soon  slunk  into 
the  sheltered  spots,  or  sought  even  less  heroic  means 
of  surrender  by  tumbling  into  bed  with  the  considerate 
help  of  unsmiling  stewards.  The  great  ship  went  up 
and  the  great  ship  came  down:  when  up  so  high  that 
the  sky  seemed  to  be  startlingly  near  and  down  so 
horribly  low  that  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  was  even 
nearer.  And  it  creaked  and  groaned  and  sighed  even 
above  the  wild  monody  of  the  wind,  like  a  thing  in 
misery,  yet  all  the  while  holding  its  sides  to  keep  from 
bursting  with  laughter  over  the  plight  of  the  little 
creature  whom  God  made  after  His  own  image  but  not 
until  after  all  of  the  big  things  of  the  universe  had 
been  designed. 


140        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

R.  Schmidt,  being  a  good  sailor  and  a  hardy  young 
chap,  albeit  a  prince  of  royal  blood,  was  abroad  early, 
after  a  breakfast  that  staggered  the  few  who  remained 
unstaggered  up  to  that  particular  crisis.  A  genial 
sailor-man  and  an  equally  ungenial  deck  swabber  ad- 
vised him,  in  totally  different  styles  of  address,  to 
stay  below  if  he  knew  what  was  good  for  him,  onlj 
to  be  thanked  with  all  the  blitheness  of  a  man  who 
jolly  well  knows  what  is  good  for  him,  or  who  doesn't 
care  whether  it  is  good  for  him  or  not  so  long  as  he  is 
doing  the  thing  that  he  wants  to  do. 

He  took  two  turns  about  the  deck,  and  each  time  »s 
he  passed  the  spot  he  sent  a  covert  glance  into  the 
corner  where  Miss  Guile's  chair  was  standing.  Of 
course  he  did  not  expect  to  find  her  there  in  weather 
like  this,  but  —  well,  he  looked  and  that  is  the  end 
to  the  argument.  The  going  was  extremely  treacher- 
ous and  unpleasant  he  was  free  to  confess  to  the 
genial  sailor-man  after  the  second  breathless  turn,  and 
gave  that  worthy  a  bright  silver  dollar  upon  receiv- 
ing a  further  bit  of  advice :  to  sit  down  somewhere  out 
of  the  wind,  sir. 

Quinnox  and  Dank  were  hopelessly  bed-ridden,  so 
to  speak.  They  were  very  disagreeable,  cross  and  un- 
pleasant, and  somehow  he  felt  that  they  hated  their 
cheerful,  happy-faced  Prince.  Never  before  had 
Count  Quinnox  scowled  at  him,  no  matter  how  mad 
his  pranks  as  a  child  or  how  silly  his  actions  as  a 
youth.  Never  before  had  any  one  told  him  to  go  to 
the  devil.  He  rather  liked  it.  And  he  rather  ad- 


THE  PRINCE  MEETS  MISS  GUILE 

mired  poor  Dank  for  ordering  him  out  of  his  cabin, 
with  a  perfectly  astounding  oath  as  a  climax  to  the 
command.  Moreover,  he  thought  considerably  better 
of  the  faithful  Hobbs  for  an  amazing  exposition  of 
human  equality  in  the  matter  of  a  pair  of  boots  that 
he  desired  to  wear  that  morning  but  which  happened! 
to  be  stowed  away  in  a  cabin  trunk.  He  told  Hobbs 
to  go  to  the  devil  and  Hobbs  repeated  the  injunction, 
with  especial  heat,  to  the  boots,  when  he  bumped  his 
head  in  hauling  them  out  of  the  trunk.  Whereupon 
R.  Schmidt  said  to  Hobbs :  "  Good  for  you,  Hobbs. 
Go  on,  please.  Don't  mind  me.  It  was  quite  a  thump, 
wasn't  it  ? "  And  Hobbs  managed,  between  other 
words,  to  say  that  it  was  a  whacking  thump,  and  one 
he  would  not  forget  to  his  dying  day  —  (if  he  lived 
through  this  one!). 

"  And  you'd  do  well  to  sit  in  the  smoke-room,  sir," 
further  advised  the  sailor-man,  clinging  to  the  rail 
with  one  hand  and  pocketing  the  coin  with  the  other. 

"  No,"  said  R.  Schmidt  resolutely.  "  I  don't  like 
the  air  in  the  smoke-room." 

"  There's  quite  a  bit  of  air  out  'ere,  sir." 

"  I  need  quite  a  bit." 

"  I  should  think  you  might,  sir,  being  a  'ealthy, 
strappin*  sort  of  a  chap,  sir.  'Elp  yourself.  All  the 
chairs  is  yours  if  you'll  unpile  'em." 

The  young  man  battled  his  way  down  the  deck  and 
soon  found  himself  in  the  well-protected  corner.  A 
half-dozen  unoccupied  chairs  were  cluttered  about, 
having  been  abandoned  by  persons  who  over-estimated 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

their  hardiness.     One  of  the  stewards  was  engaged  in 
stacking  them  up  and  making  them  fast. 

Miss  Guile's  chair  and  that  of  Mrs.  Gaston  were 
staunchly  fastened  down  and  their  rugs  were  in  place. 
R.  Schmidt  experienced  an  exquisite  sensation  of 
pleasure.  Here  was  a  perfect  exemplification  of  that 
much-abused  thing  known  as  circumstantial  evidence. 
She  contemplated  coming  on  deck.  So  he  had  his 
chair  put  in  place,  called  for  his  rug,  shrugged  his 
chin  down  into  the  collar  of  his  thick  ulster,  and  sat 
down  to  wait. 


CHAPTER    X 

AN    HOUR    ON    DECK 

SHE  literally  was  blown  into  his  presence.  He  sprang 
to  his  feet  to  check  her  swift  approach  before  she 
could  be  dashed  against  the  wall  or  upon  the  heap  of 
chairs  in  the  corner.  The  deep  roll  of  the  vessel  had 
ended  so  suddenly  that  she  was  thrown  off  her  balance, 
at  best  precariously  maintained  in  the  hurricane  that 
swept  her  along  the  deck.  She  was  projected  with 
considerable  violence  against  the  waiting  figure  of  R. 
Schmidt,  who  had  hastily  braced  himself  for  the  im- 
pact of  the  slender  body  in  the  thick  sea-ulster.  She 
uttered  an  excited  little  shriek  as  she  came  bang  up 
against  him  and  found  his  ready  arms  closing  about 
her  shoulders. 

"  Oh,  goodness !  "  she  gasped,  with  what  little  breath 
she  had  left,  and  then  began  to  laugh  as  she  freed 
herself  in  confusion  —  a  very  pretty  confusion  he  re- 
called later  on,  after  he  had  recovered  to  some  extent 
from  the  effects  of  an  exceedingly  severe  bump  on  the 
back  of  his  head.  "  How  awkward  t  '* 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  proclaimed,  retaining  a  grip  on 
one  of  her  arms  until  the  ship  showed  some  signs  of 
resuming  its  way  eastward  instead  of  downward. 

"  I   am    sure   it  must  have  hurt  dreadfully,"  she 

cried.     "  Nothing    hurts    worse    than    a    bump.     It 

143 


144.        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

seemed  as  though  you  must  have  splintered  the  wall.** 

"  I  have  a  singularly  hard  head,"  said  he,  and  forth- 
with felt  of  the  back  of  it. 

"  Will  you  please  stand  ready  to  receive  boarders  ? 
My  maid  is  following  me,  poor  thing,  and  I  can't  af- 
ford to  have  her  smashed  to  pieces.  Here  she  is !  " 

Quite  a  pretty  maid,  with  wide,  horrified  eyes  and 
a  pale  green  complexion  came  hustling  around  the 
corner.  R.  Schmidt,  albeit  a  prince,  received  her  with 
open  arms. 

"  Merci,  M'sieur ! "  she  squealed  and  added  some- 
thing in  muffled  French  that  strangely  reminded  him 
of  what  Hobbs  had  said  in  English.  Then  she  de- 
posited an  armful  of  rugs  and  magazines  at  Robin's 
feet,  and  clutched  wildly  at  a  post  actually  some  ten 
feet  away  but  which  appeared  to  be  coming  toward 
her  with  obliging  swiftness,  so  nicely  was  the  deck 
rotating  for  her.  "  Mon  dieu !  Mon  dieu !  " 

"  You  may  go  back  to  bed,  Marie,"  cried  her  mis- 
tress in  some  haste.  , 

"  But  ze  rug,  I  feex  it  — "  groaned  the  unhappy 
maid,  and  then  once  more :  "  Merci,  M'sieur !  "  She 
clung  to  the  arm  he  extended,  and  tried  bravely  to 
smile  her  thanks. 

"  Here !  Go  in  through  this  door,"  he  said,  brac- 
ing the  door  open  with  his  elbow.  "  You'll  be  all  right 
in  a  little  while.  Keep  your  nerve."  He  closed  the 
door  after  her  and  turned  to  the  amused  Miss  Guile. 
"  Well,  it's  an  ill  wind  that  blows  no  good,"  he  said 
enigmatically,  and  she  flushed  under  the  steady  smile 


AN  HOUR  ON  DECK  145 

in  his  eyes.  "  Allow  me  to  arrange  your  rug  for 
you,  Miss  Guile." 

"  Thank  you,  no.  I  think  I  would  better  go  inside. 
It  is  really  too  windy  — " 

"  The  wind  can't  get  at  you  back  here  in  this  cubby- 
hole," he  protested.  "  Do  sit  down.  I'll  have  you  as 
snug  as  a  bug  in  a  rug  before  you  can  say  Jack  Robin- 
son. See !  Now  stick  'em  out  and  I'll  wrap  it  around 
them.  There !  You're  as  neatly  done  up  as  a  mummy 
and  a  good  deal  better  off,  because  you  are  a  long 
way  short  of  being  two  thousand  years  old." 

"  How  is  your  head,  Mr.  Schmidt?  "  she  inquired 
with  grave  concern.  "  You  seem  to  be  quite  crazy. 
I  hope  — " 

"Every  one  is  a  little  bit  mad,  don't  you  think? 
Especially  in  moments  of  great  excitement.  I  dare- 
say my  head  has  been  turned  quite  appreciably,  and 
I'm  glad  that  you've  been  kind  enough  to  notice  it. 
Where  is  Mrs.  Gaston?  "  He  was  vastly  exhilarated. 

She  regarded  him  with  eyes  that  sparkled  and  be- 
lied the  unamiable  nature  of  her  reply. 

"  The  poor  lady  is  where  she  is  not  at  all  likely 
to  be  annoyed,  Mr.  Schmidt." 

Then  she  took  up  a  magazine  and  coolly  began  to 
run  through  the  pages.  He  waited  for  a  moment,  con- 
siderably dashed,  and  then  said  "  Oh,"  in  a  very  un- 
friendly manner.  She  found  her  place  in  the  maga- 
zine, assumed  a  more  comfortable  position,  and,  with 
noteworthy  resolution,  set  about  reading  as  if  her  life 
•depended  upon  it. 


146        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARE 

He  sat  down,  pulled  the  rug  up  to  his  chin,  and 
stared  out  at  the  great,  heaving  billows.  Suddenly  re- 
membering another  injury,  he  felt  once  more  of  the 
back  of  his  head. 

"By  jove!"  he  exclaimed.  "There  is  a  lump 
there." 

"  I  can't  hear  you,"  she  said,  allowing  the  magazine 
to  drop  into  her  lap,  but  keeping  her  place  carefully 
marked  with  one  of  her  fingers. 

"  I  can  hear  you  perfectly,"  he  said. 

"  It's  the  way  the  wind  blows,"  she  explained. 

"  Easily  remedied,"  said  he.  "  I'll  move  into  Mrs. 
Gaston's  chair  if  you  think  it  will  help  any." 

"  Do ! "  she  said  promptly.  "  You  will  not  dis- 
turb me  in  the  least, —  unless  you  talk."  She  re- 
sumed her  reading,  half  a  page  above  the  finger  tip. 

He  moved  over  and  arranged  himself  comfortably, 
snugly  in  Mrs.  Gaston's  chair.  Their  elbows  almost 
met.  He  was  prepared  to  be  very  patient.  For  a 
long  time  she  continued  to  read,  her  warm,  rosy  cheek 
half-averted,  her  eyes  applied  to  their  task  with  ir- 
ritating constancy.  He  did  not  despair.  Some  wise 
person  once  had  told  him  that  it  was  only  necessary 
to  give  a  woman  sufficient  time  and  she  would  be  the 
one  to  despair. 

A  few  passengers  possessed  of  proud  sea-legs,  stag- 
gered past  the  snug  couple  on  their  ridiculous  rounds  of 
the  ship.  If  they  thought  of  Miss  Guile  and  R, 
Schmidt  at  all  it  was  with  the  scorn  that  is  usually 
devoted  to  youth  at  its  very  best.  There  could  be  no 


AN  HOUR  ON  DECK  147 

doubt  in  the  passing  mind  that  these  two  were  sweet- 
hearts who  managed  to  thrive  on  the  smallest  of  com- 
forts. 

At  last  his  patience  was  rewarded.  She  lowered 
the  magazine  and  stifled  a  yawn  —  but  not  a  real 
one. 

"  Have  you  read  it?  "  she  inquired  composedly. 

"  A  part  of  it,"  he  said.     "  Over  your  shoulder." 

'*  Is  that  considered  polite  in  Vienna?  " 

**  If  you  only  knew  what  a  bump  I've  got  on  the 
back  of  my  head  you  wouldn't  be  so  ungracious,"  he 
said. 

"I  couldn't  possibly  know,  could  I?" 

He  leaned  forward  and  indicated  the  spot  on  the 
back  of  his  head,  first  removing  his  cap.  She  laughed 
nervously,  and  then  gently  rubbed  her  fingers  over  the 
thick  hair. 

"  There  is  a  dreadful  lump ! "  she  exclaimed.  "  Oh, 
how  sorry  I  am.  Do  —  do  you  feel  faint  or  —  or  — • 
I  mean,  is  it  very  painful?  " 

"  Not  now,"  he  replied,  replacing  his  cap  and  favour- 
ing her  with  his  most  engaging  smile. 

She  smiled  in  response,  betraying  not  the  slightest 
cign  of  embarrassment.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  was, 
if  anything,  somewhat  too  self-possessed. 

"  I  remember  falling  down  stairs  once,"  she  said, 
"  and  getting  a  stupendous  bump  on  my  forehead. 
But  that  was  a  great  many  years  ago  and  I  cried. 
How  was  I  to  know  that  it  hurt  you,  Mr.  Schmidt* 
when  you  neglected  to  cry?  " 


"  Heroes  never  cry,"  said  he.  "  It  isn't  considered 
first-class  fiction,  you  know." 

"  Am  I  to  regard  you  as  a  hero?  " 

"  If  you  will  be  so  kind,  please." 

She  laughed  outright  at  this.  "I  think  I  rather 
like  you,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said,  with  unexpected 
candour. 

"  Oh,  I  fancy  I'm  not  at  all  bad,"  said  he,  after 
a  momentary  stare  of  astonishment.  "  I  am  especially 
good  in  rough  weather,"  he  went  on,  trying  to  forget 
that  he  was  a  prince  of  the  royal  blood,  a  rather  dif- 
ficult matter  when  one  stops  to  consider  he  was  not  in 
the  habit  of  hearing  people  say  that  they  rather  liked 
him. 

"  Do  your  friends  come  from  Vienna?  "  she  inquired 
abruptly. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  and  then  saved  his  face  as  usual 
by  adding  under  his  breath :  "  but  they  don't  live 
there."  It  was  not  in  him  to  lie  outright,  hence  the 
handy  way  of  appeasing  his  conscience. 

"  They  are  very  interesting  looking  men,  especially, 
the  younger.  I  cannot  remember  when  I  have  seen  a 
more  attractive  man." 

"He  is  a  splendid  chap,"  exclaimed  Robin,  with 
genuine  enthusiasm.  "  I  am  very  fond  of  Dank." 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment.  Something  had 
failed,  and  she  was  rather  glad  of  it. 

"Do  you  like  New  York?"  she  asked. 

"  Immensely.  I  met  a  great  many  delightful  people 
there,  Miss  Guile.  You  say  you  do  not  know 


AN  HOUR  ON  DECK  149 

Blithers  family?     Mr.  Blithers  is  a  rare  old  bird." 

"  Isn't  there  some  talk  of  his  daughter  being  en- 
gaged to  the  Prince  of  Graustark?  " 

He  felt  that  his  ears  were  red.  "  The  newspapers 
hinted  at  something  of  the  sort,  I  believe."  He  was 
suddenly  possessed  by  the  curious  notion  that  he  was 
being  "  pumped  "  by  his  fair  companion.  Indeed,  a 
certain  insistent  note  had  crept  into  her  voice  and  her 
eyes  were  searching  his  with  an  intentness  that  had  not 
appeared  in  them  until  now. 

"  Have  you  seen  him?  " 

"The  Prince?" 

"Yes.     What  is  he  like?" 

"  I've  seen  pictures  of  him,"  he  equivocated. 
"  Rather  nice  looking,  I  should  say." 

"  Of  course  he  is  like  all  foreign  noblemen  and  will 
leap  at  the  Blithers  millions  if  he  gets  the  chance. 
I  sometimes  feel  sorry  for  the  poor  wretches."  There 
was  more  scorn  than  pity  in  the  way  she  said  it,  how- 
ever, and  her  velvety  eyes  were  suddenly  hard  and 
uncompromising. 

He  longed  to  defend  himself,  in  the  third  person, 
but  could  not  do  so  for  very  strong  and  obvious 
reasons.  He  allowed  himself  the  privilege,  however,  of 
declaring  that  foreign  noblemen  are  not  always  as 
black  as  they  are  painted.  And  then,  for  a  very  ex- 
cellent reason,  he  contrived  to  change  the  subject  by 
asking  where  she  was  going  on  the  continent. 

"  I  may  go  to  Vienna,"  she  said,  with  a  smile  that 
served  to  puzzle  rather  than  to  delight  him.  He  was 


150         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

more  than  ever  convinced  that  she  was  playing  with 
him.  "  But  pray  do  not  look  so  gloomy,  Mr.  Schmidt, 
I  shall  not  make  any  demands  upon  your  time  while  I 
am  there.  You  may  — " 

"  I  am  quite  sure  of  that,"  he  interrupted,  with  his 
ready  smile.  "  You  see,  I  am  a  person  of  no  con- 
sequence in  Vienna,  while  you  —  Ah,  well,  as  an 
American  girl  you  will  be  hobnobbing  with  the  nobility 
while  the  humble  Schmidt  sits  afar  off  and  marvels 
at  the  kindness  of  a  fate  that  befell  him  in  the  middle 
of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  yet  curses  the  fate  that 
makes  him  unworthy  of  the  slightest  notice  from  the 
aforesaid  American  girl.  For,  I  daresay,  Miss  Guile, 
you,  like  all  American  girls,  are  ready  to  leap  at 
titles." 

"  That  really  isn't  fair,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  protested, 
flushing.  "  Why  should  you  and  I  quarrel  over  a 
condition  that  cannot  apply  to  either  of  us  ?  You  are 
not  a  nobleman,  and  I  am  not  a  title-seeking  American 
girl.  So,  why  all  this  beautiful  irony?  " 

"  It  only  remains  for  me  to  humbly  beg  your  pardon 
and  to  add  that  if  you  come  to  Vienna  my  every  wak- 
ing hour  shall  be  devoted  to  the  pleasure  of  — " 

"  I  am  sorry  I  mentioned  it,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she 
interrupted  coldly.  "  You  may  rest  easy,  for  I  shall 
not  keep  you  awake  for  a  single  hour.  Besides,  I  may 
not  go  to  Vienna  at  all." 

'*  I  am  sure  you  would  like  Vienna,"  he  said,  some- 
what chilled  by  her  manner. 

"  I  have  been  there,  with  my  parents,  but  it  was 


AN  HOUR  ON  DECK  151 

a  long  time  ago.  I  once  saw  the  Emperor  and  often 
have  I  seen  the  wonderful  Prince  Lichtenstein." 

"  Have  you  travelled  extensively  in  Europe  ?  " 

She  was  smiling  once  more.  "  I  don't  know  what 
you  would  consider  extensively,"  she  said.  "  I  was 
educated  in  Paris,  I  have  spent  innumerable  winters 
in  Rome  and  quite  as  many  summers  in  Scotland,  Eng- 
land, Switzerland,  Germ — " 

"  I  know  who  you  are ! "  he  cried  out  enthusias- 
tically. To  his  amazement,  a  startled  expression 
leaped  into  her  eyes.  "  You  are  travelling  under  an 
assumed  name."  She  remained  perfectly  still,  watch- 
ing him  with  an  anxious  smile  on  her  lips.  "  You 
are  no  other  than  Miss  Baedeker,  the  well-known 
authoress." 

It  seemed  to  him  that  she  breathed  deeply.  At 
any  rate,  her  brow  cleared  and  her  smile  was  positively 
enchanting.  Never,  in  all  his  life,  had  he  gazed  upon 
a  lovelier  face.  His  heart  began  to  beat  with  a 
rapidity  that  startled  him,  and  a  queer  little  sensa- 
tion, as  of  smothering,  made  it  difficult  for  him  to 
speak  naturally  in  his  next  attempt. 

"  In  that  case,  my  pseudonym  should  be  Guide,  not 
Guile,"  she  cried  merrily.  The  dimples  played  in  her 
cheeks  and  her  eyes  were  dancing. 

"  B.  stands  for  Baedeker,  I'm  sure.  Baedeker 
Guide.  If  the  B.  isn't  for  Baedeker,  what  is  it  for?  " 

"  Are  you  asking  what  the  B.  really  stands  for, 
Mr.  Schmidt?" 

"  In  a  round-about  way,  Miss  Guile,"  he  admitted. 


152        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  My  name  is  Bedelia,"  she  said,  with  absolute  sin- 
cerity. "Me  mither  is  Irish,  d'ye  see?" 

"  By  jove,  it's  worth  a  lot  of  trouble  to  get  you 
to  smile  like  that,"  he  cried  admiringly.  "  It  is  the 
first  really  honest  smile  you've  displayed.  If  you  knew 
how  it  improves  you,  you'd  be  doing  it  all  of  the 
time." 

"  Smiles  are  sometimes  expensive." 

"  It  depends  on  the  market." 

"  I  never  take  them  to  a  cheap  market.  They  are 
not  classed  as  necessities." 

"  You  couldn't  offer  them  to  any  one  who  loves 
luxuries  more  than  I  do." 

"  You  pay  for  them  only  with  compliments,  I  see, 
and  there  is  nothing  so  cheap." 

"  Am  I  to  take  that  as  a  rebuke?  " 

"  If  possible,"  she  said  sweetly. 

At  this  juncture,  the  miserable  Hobbs  hove  into 
sight,  not  figuratively  but  literally.  He  came  surging 
across  the  deck  in  a  mad  dash  from  one  haven  to  an- 
other, or,  more  accurately,  from  post  to  post. 

"  I  beg  pardon,  sir,"  he  gasped,  finally  steadying 
himself  on  wide-spread  legs  within  easy  reach  of 
Robin's  sustaining  person.  "  There  is  a  wireless  for 
Mr.  Totten,  sir,  but  when  I  took  it  to  'im  he  said  to 
fetch  it  to  you,  being  unable  to  hold  up  'is  head, 
wot  with  the  wretched  meal  he  had  yesterday  and 
the—" 

"  I  see,  Hobbs.     Well,  where  is  it?  " 

Hobbs  looked  embarrassed.     "  Well,  you  see,  sir,  1 


'I  shall  pray  for  continuous  rough  weather" 


AN  HOUR  ON  DECK  153 

pesitated  about  giving  it  to  you  when  you  appear  to 
be  so  — " 

"  Never  mind.  You  may  give  it  to  me.  Miss  Guile 
will  surely  pardon  me  if  I  devote  a  second  or  two  to  an 
occupation  she  followed  so  earnestly  up  to  a  very  short 
time  ago." 

"Pray  forget  that  I  am  present,  Mr.  Schmidt,"f 
she  said,  and  smiled  upon  the  bewildered  Hobbs,  who| 
after  an  instant  delivered  the  message  to  his  master. 

Robin  read  it  through  and  at  the  end  whistled  softly. 

"  Take  it  to  Mr.  Totten,  Hobbs,  and  see  if  it  will 
not  serve  to  make  him  hold  up  his  head  a  little." 

"  Very  good,  sir.  I  hope  it  will.  Wouldn't  it  be 
wise  for  me  to  hannounce  who  it  is  from,  sir,  to  sort 
of  prepare  him  for  — '' 

"  He  knows  who  it  is  from,  Hobbs,  so  you  needn't 
worry.  It  is  from  home,  if  it  will  interest  you, 
Hobbs." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,  it  does  interest  me.  I  thought  it 
might  be  from  Mr.  Blithers." 

Robin's  scowl  sent  him  scuttling  away  a  great  deal 
more  rigidly  than  when  he  came. 

"  Idiot ! "  muttered  the  young  man,  still  scowling. 

There  was  silence  between  the  two  for  a  few  seconds. 
Then  she  spoke  disinterestedly: 

"Is  it  from  the  Mr.  Blithers  who  has  the  millions 
and  the  daughter  who  wants  to  marry  a  prince?  " 

"  Merely  a  business  transaction,  Miss  Guile,"  he  said 
absently.  He  was  thinking  of  Romano's  message. 

"  So  it  would  appear." 


154        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  beg  pardon?     I  was  —  er  —  thinking  — " 

"  It  was  of  no  consequence,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said 
airily. 

He  picked  up  the  thread  once  more.  "  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  I've  heard  it  said  that  Miss  Blithers  refused 
to  marry  the  Prince." 

"Is  it  possible?"  with  fine  irony.  "Is  he  such  a 
dreadful  person  as  all  that?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  murmured  Robin  uncom- 
fortably. "  He  may  be  no  more  dreadful  than  she." 

"  I  cannot  hear  you,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  persisted, 
with  unmistakeable  malice  in  her  lovely  eyes. 

"  I'm  rather  glad  that  you  didn't,"  he  confessed. 
"  Silly  remark,  you  know." 

"  Well,  I  hope  she  doesn't  marry  him,"  said  Miss 
Guile. 

"  So  do  I,"  said  R.  Schmidt,  and  their  eyes  met. 
After  a  moment,  she  looked  away,  her  first  surrender 
to  the  mysterious  something  that  lay  deep  in  his. 

"  It  would  prove  that  all  American  girls  are  not 
so  black  as  they're  painted,  wouldn'.t  it?  "  she  said, 
striving  to  regain  the  ground  she  had  lost  by  that 
momentary  lapse. 

"  Pray  do  not  overlook  the  fact  that  I  am  half 
American,"  he  said.  "  You  must  not  expect  me  to 
say  that  they  paint  at  all." 

"  Schmidt  is  a  fine  old  American  name,"  she  mused, 
the  mischief  back  in  her  eyes. 

"  And  so  is  Bedelia,"  said  he. 

"Will  you  pardon  me,  Mr.  Schmidt,  if  I  express 


AN  HOUR  ON  DECK  155 

surprise  that  you  speak  English  without  the  tiniest 
suggestion  of  an  accent?  " 

"  I  will  pardon  you  for  everything  and  anything, 
Miss  Guile,"  said  he,  quite  too  distinctly.  She  drew 
back  in  her  chair  and  the  light  of  raillery  died  in  her 
eyes. 

"  What  an  imperial  sound  it  has ! " 

"  And  why  not?     The  R  stands  for  Rex." 

"  Ah,  that  accounts  for  the  King's  English ! M 

"  Certainly,"  he  grinned.  "  The  king  can  do  no 
;wrong,  don't  you  see  ?  " 

"  Your  servant  who  was  here  speaks  nothing  but 
the  King's  English,  I  perceive.  Perhaps  that  ac- 
counts for  a  great  deal." 

"Hobbs?  I  mean  to  say,  'Obbs?  I  confess  that 
he  has  taught  me  many  tricks  of  the  tongue.  He  is 
one  of  the  crown  jewels." 

Suddenly,  and  without  reason,  she  appeared  to  be 
bored.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  hid  an  incipient 
yawn  behind  her  small  gloved  hand. 

"  I  think  I  shall  go  to  my  room.  Will  you  kindly 
unwrap  me,  Mr.  Schmidt  ?  " 

He  promptly  obeyed,  and  then  assisted  her  to  her 
feet,  steadying  her  against  the  roll  of  the  vessel. 

"I  shall  pray  for  continuous  rough  weather,"  he 
announced,  with  as  gallant  a  bow  as  could  be  made 
under  the  circumstances. 

'*  Thank  you,"  she  said,  and  he  was  pleased  to  take  it 
that  she  was  not  thanking  him  for  a  physical  service. 

A  few  minutes  later  he  was  in  his  own  room,  and 


156        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

she  was  in  hers,  and  the  promenade  deck  was  as  barren 
as  the  desert  of  Sahara. 

He  found  Count  Quinnox  stretched  out  upon  his  . 
bed,  attended  not  only  by  Hobbs  but  also  the  re- 
animated Dank.     The  crumpled  message  lay  on  the 
floor. 

"  Pm  glad  you  waited  awhile,"  said  the  young 
lieutenant,  getting  up  from  the  trunk  on  which  he  had 
beeri  sitting.  "If  you  had  come  any  sooner  you; 
would  have  heard  words  fit  only  for  a  soldier  to  hear. 
It  really  was  quite  appalling." 

"  He's  better  now,"  said  Hobbs,  more  respectfully 
than  was  his  wont.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  sus- 
tained quite  a  shock. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it?"  demanded  the 
Prince,  pointing  to  the  message. 

"  Of  all  the  confounded  inpudence  — "  began  the 
Count  healthily,  and  then  uttered  a  mighty  groan  of 
impotence.  It  was  clear  that  he  could  not  do  justice 
to  the  occasion  a  second  time. 

Robin  picked  up  the  Marconigram,  and  calmly 
smoothed  out  the  crinkles.  Then  he  read  it  aloud, 
very  slowly  and  with  extreme  disgust  in  his  fine  young 
face.  It  was  a  lengthy  communication  from  Baron 
Romano,  the  Prime  Minister  in  Edelweiss. 

"  *  Preliminary  agreement  signed  before  hearing 
Blithers  had  bought  London,  Paris,  Berlin.  He  cables 
his  immediate  visit  to  G.  Object  now  appears  clear. 
All  newspapers  in  Europe  print  despatches  from 
America  that  marriage  is  practically  arranged  be* 


AN  HOUR  ON  DECK  157 

tween  R.  and  M.  Interviews  with  Blithers  corroborate 
reported  engagement.  Europe  is  amused.  Editori- 
als sarcastic.  Price  on  our  securities  advance  two 
points  on  confirmation  of  report.  We  are  bewildered. 
Also  vague  rumour  they  have  eloped,  but  denied  by  B. 
Dawsbergen  silent.  What  does  it  all  mean?  Wire 
truth  to  me.  People  are  uneasy.  Gourou  will  meet 
you  in  Paris.'  " 

In  the  adjoining  suite,  Miss  Guile  was  shaking  Mrs. 
Gaston  out  of  a  long-courted  and  much  needed  sleep. 
The  poor  lady  sat  up  and  blinked  feebly  at  the  ex- 
cited, starry-eyed  girl. 

"  Wake  up  !  "  cried  Bedelia  impatiently,  "  What 
do  you  think?  I  have  a  perfectly  wonderful  sus- 
picion —  perfectly  wonderful." 

"  How  can  you  be  so  unfeeling?  "  moaned  the  limp 
lady. 

"  This  R.  Schmidt  is  Prince  Robin  of  Graustark ! " 
cried  the  girl  excitedly.  "  I  am  sure  of  it  —  just  as 
sure  as  can  be." 

Mrs.  Gaston's  eyes  were  popping,  not  with  amaze- 
ment but  alarm. 

"  Do  lie  down,  child,"  she  whimpered.  "  Marie ! 
The  sleeping  powders  at  once !  Do  — " 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  mad,"  cried  the  girl.  "  Now  listen 
to  me  and  I'll  tell  you  why  I  believe — yes,  actually 
believe  him  to  be  the — " 

"  Marie,  do  you  hear  me  ?  " 

Miss  Guile  shook  her  vigorously.  "Wake  up!  It 
isn't  a  nightmare.  Now  listen !  " 


CHAPTER    XI1 

THE    LIEUTENANT    EECEIVES    ORDERS 

THE  next  day  brought  not  only  an  agreeable  change  in 
the  weather  but  a  most  surprising  alteration  in  the 
manner  of  Mrs.  Gaston,  whose  attitude  toward  R. 
Schmidt  and  his  friends  had  been  anything  but  ami- 
cable up  to  the  hour  of  Miss  Guile's  discovery.  The 
excellent  lady,  recovering  very  quickly  from  her  in- 
disposition became  positively  polite  to  the  hitherto 
repugnant  Mr.  Schmidt.  She  melted  so  abruptly  and 
so  completely  that  the  young  man  was  vaguely 
troubled.  He  began  to  wonder  if  his  incognito  had 
been  pierced,  so  to  speak. 

It  was  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  Miss  Guile 
was  personally  responsible  for  this  startling  transi- 
tion from  the  inimical  to  the  gracious  on  the  part  of 
her  companion;  the  indifference  of  Miss  Guile  herself 
was  sufficient  proof  to  the  contrary.  Therefore,  when 
Mrs.  Gaston  nosed  him  out  shortly  after  breakfast 
and  began  to  talk  about  the  beautiful  day  in  a  manner 
so  thoroughly  respectful  that  it  savoured  of  servility, 
he  was  taken-aback,  flabbergasted.  She  seemed  to  be 
on  the  point  of  dropping  her  knee  every  time  she 
spoke  to  him,  and  there  was  an  unmistakable  tremor 
of  excitement  in  her  voice  even  when  she  confided  to 
him  that  she  adored  the  ocean  when  it  was  calm.  He 

158 


THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS      159 

forbore  asking  when  Miss  Guile  might  be  expected  to 
appear  on  deck  for  her  constitutional  but  she  volun- 
teered the  information,  which  was  neither  vague  nor 
yet  definite.  In  fact,  she  said  that  Miss  Guile  would 
be  up  soon,  and  soon  is  a  word  that  has  a  double 
meaning  when  applied  to  the  movements  of  capricious 
womanhood.  It  may  mean  ten  minutes  and  it  may 
mean  an  hour  and  t*  half. 

Mrs.  Gaston's  severely  critical  eyes  were  no  longer 
severe,  albeit  they  were  critical.  She  took  him  in 
from  head  to  foot  with  the  eye  of  an  appraiser,  and 
the  more  she  took  him  in  the  more  she  melted,  until 
at  last  in  order  to  keep  from  completely  dissolving, 
she  said  good-bye  to  him  and  hurried  off  to  find  Miss 
Guile. 

Now  it  is  necessary  to  relate  that  Miss  Guile  had 
been  particularly  firm  in  her  commands  to  Mrs.  Gas- 
ton.  She  literally  had  stood  the  excellent  lady  up  in 
a  corner  and  lectured  her  for  an  hour  on  the  wisdom 
of  silence.  In  the  first  place,  Mrs.  Gaston  was  given 
to/  understand  that  she  was  not  to  breathe  it  to  a 
soul  that  R.  Schmidt  was  not  R.  Schmidt,  and  she 
was  not  to  betray  to  him  by  word  or  sign  that  he  was 
suspected  of  being  the  Prince  of  Graustark.  More- 
over, the  exacting  Miss  Guile  laid  great  stress  upon 
another  command:  R.  Schmidt  was  never  to  know 
that  she  was  not  Miss  Guile,  but  some  one  else  al- 
together. 

"  You're  right,  my  dear,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Gaston 
in  an  excited  whisper  as  she  burst  in  upon  her  fair 


160        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

companion,  who  was  having  coffee  and  toast  in  hef 
parlour.  The  more  or  less  resuscitated  Marie  was  wait- 
ing to  do  up  her  mistress's  hair,  and  the  young  lady 
herself  was  alluringly  charming  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  it  was  not  already  "  done  up."  "  He  is  the  — * 
er  —  he  is  just  what  you  think." 

"  Good  heavens,  you  haven't  gone  and  done  it,  have 
you,"  cried  the  girl,  a  slim  hand  halting  with  a  piece 
of  toast  half  way  to  her  lips. 

"  Gone  and  done  it  ?  " 

"  You  haven't  been  blabbing,  have  you  ?  " 

"  How  can  you  say  that  to  me?  Am  I  not  to  be 
trusted?  Am  I  so  weak  and  — " 

"  Don't  cry,  you  old  dear !  Forgive  me.  But  now 
tell  me  —  absolutely  —  just  what  you've  been  up  to. 
Don't  mind  Marie.  She  is  French,  She  can  always 
hold  her  tongue." 

"  Well,  I've  been  talking  with  him,  that's  all.  I'm 
sure  he  is  the  Prince.  No  ordinary  male  could  be  as 
sweet  and  agreeable  and  sunny  as  — " 

"  Stop ! "  cried  Miss  Guile,  with  a  pretty  moue, 
putting  the  tips  of  her  fingers  to  her  ears  after  put- 
ting the  piece  of  toast  into  her  mouth.  "  One  would 
think  you  were  a  sentimental  old  maid  instead  of 
a  cold-blooded,  experienced,  man-hating  married 
woman." 

"  You  forget  that  I  am  a  widow,  my  dear.  Besides, 
it  is  disgusting  for  one  to  speak  with  one's  mouth  full 
of  buttered  toast.  It  — " 

**  Oh,  how  I  used  to  loathe  you  when  you  kept  for- 


THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS      161 

ever  ding-donging  at  me  about  the  way  I  ate  when  I 
was  almost  starving.  Were  you  never  a  hungry  lit- 
tle kid?  Did  you  never  lick  jam  and  honey  off  your 
fingers  and — " 

"  Many  and  many  a  time,"  confessed  Mrs.  Gaston, 
beaming  once  more  and  laying  a  gentle,  loving  hand 
on  the  girl's  shoulder.  Miss  Guile  dropped  her  head 
over  until  her  cheek  rested  on  the  caressing  hand, 
and  munched  toast  with  blissful  abandon. 

"  Now  tell  me  what  you've  been  up  to,"  she  said,  and 
Mrs.  Gaston  repeated  every  word  of  the  conversation 
she  had  had  with  R.  Schmidt,  proving  absolutely  noth- 
ing but  stoutly  maintaining  that  her  intuition  was  com- 
pletely to  be  depended  upon. 

"  And,  oh,"  she  whispered  in  conclusion,  "  wouldn't 
it  be  perfectly  wonderful  if  you  two  should  fall  in  love 
with  each  other — " 

"Don't  be  silly!" 

"  But  you  have  said  that  if  he  should  fall  in  love 
with  you  for  yourself  and  not  because  — " 

61 1  have  also  said  that  I  will  not  marry  any  man, 
prince,  duke,  king,  count  or  anything  else  unless  I  am 
in  love  with  him.  Don't  overlook  that,  please." 

"  But  he  is  really  very  nice.  I  should  think  you 
could  fall  in  love  with  him.  Just  think  how  it  would 
please  your  father  and  mother.  Just  think  — " 

"I  won't  be  bullied!" 

"  Am  I  bullying  you?  "  in  amazement. 

"  No ;  but  father  tries  to  bully  me,  and  you  know 
it." 


162        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  You  must  admit  that  the  • —  this  Mr.  Schmidt  is 
handsome,  charming,  bright  — " 

"  I  admit  nothing,"  said  Miss  Guile  resolutely,  and 
ordered  Marie  to  dress  her  hair  as  carefully  as  pos- 
sible. "  Take  as  long  as  you  like,  Marie.  I  shall  not 
go  on  deck  for  hours." 

"I  —  I  told  him  you  would  be  up  soon,"  stam- 
mered the  poor,  man-hating  ex-governess. 

"You  did?"  said  Miss  Guile,  with  what  was  sup- 
posed to  be  a  deadly  look  in  her  eyes. 

"  Well,  he  enquired,"  said  the  other. 

"  Anything  else?  "  domineered  the  beauty. 

"  I  forgot  to  mention  one  thing.  He  did  ask  me  if 
your  name  was  really  Bedelia." 

"And  what  did  you  tell  him?"  cried  the  girl,  in 
sudden  agitation. 

"  I  managed  to  tell  him  that  it  was,"  said  Mrs. 
Gaston  stiffly. 

"  Good ! "  cried  Miss  Guile,  vastly  relieved,  and  not 
a.t  all  troubled  over  the  blight  that  had  been  put  upon 
a  very  worthy  lady's  conscience. 

When  she  appeared  on  deck  long  afterward,  she 
found  every  chair  occupied.  A  warm  sun,  a  far  from 
turbulent  sea,  and  a  refreshing  breeze  had  brought 
about  a  marvellous  transformation.  Every  one  was 
happy,  every  one  had  come  back  from  the  grave  to 
gloat  over  the  grim  reaper's  failure  to  do  his  worst, 
although  in  certain  cases  he  had  been  importuned  to 
do  it  without  hesitation. 

She  made  several  brisk  rounds  of  the  deck;  then, 


THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS      163 

feeling  that  people  were  following  her  with  their  eyes, 
• —  admiringly,  to  be  sure,  but  what  of  that?  —  she 
abandoned  the  pleasant  exercise  and  sought  the  seclu- 
sion of  the  sunless  corner  where  her  chair  was 
stationed.  The  ship's  daily  newspaper  was  just  off 
the  press  and  many  of  the  loungers  were  reading  the 
brief  telegraphic  news  from  the  capitals  of  the  world. 

During  her  stroll  she  passed  several  groups  of 
men  and  women  who  were  lightly,  even  scornfully  em- 
ployed in  discussing  an  article  of  news  which  had  to 
do  with  Mr.  Blithers  and  the  Prince  of  Graustark. 
Filled  with  an  acute  curiosity,  she  procured  a  copy  of 
the  paper  from  a  steward,  and  was  glancing  at  the 
head  lines  as  she  made  her  way  into  her  corner. 
Double-leaded  type  appeared  over  the  rumoured  en- 
gagment  of  Miss  Maud  Applegate  Blithers,  the  beauti- 
ful and  accomplished  daughter  of  the  great  capitalist, 
and  Robin,  Prince  of  Graustark.  A  queer  little  smile 
played  about  her  lips  as  she  folded  the  paper  for 
future  perusal.  Turning  the  corner  of  the  deck- 
building  she  almost  collided  with  R.  Schmidt,  who 
stood  leaning  against  the  wall,  scanning  the  little 
newspaper  with  eyes  that  were  blind  to  everything 
else. 

"Oh!"  she  gasped. 

"  I'm  sorry,"  he  exclaimed,  crumpling  the  paper  in 
his  hand  as  he  backed  away,  flushing.  "  Stupid  of  me. 
Good  morning." 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Schmidt.  It  wasn't  your 
fault.  I  should  have  looked  where  I  was  going. 


164         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

'  Stop,  look  and  listen,'  as  they  say  at  the  railway 
crossing." 

" '  Danger '  is  one  of  the  commonest  signs,  Miss 
Guile.  It  lurks  everywhere,  especially  around  corners. 
I  see  you  have  a  paper.  It  appears  that  Miss  Blithers 
,  and  the  Prince  are  to  be  married  after  all." 

"  Yes ;  it  is  quite  apparent  that  the  Blithers  family 
intends  to  have  a  title  at  any  cost,"  she  said,  and  her 
eyes  flashed. 

"  Would  you  like  to  take  a  few  turns,  Miss  Guile?  '* 
he  inquired,  a  trace  of  nervousness  in  his  manner.  *'  I 
think  I  can  take  you  safely  over  the  hurdles  and 
around  the  bunkers."  He  indicated  the  outstretched 
legs  along  the  promenade  deck  and  the  immovable 
groups  of  chatterers  along  the  rail. 

Before  deciding,  she  shot  an  investigating  glance 
into  the  corner.  Mrs.  Gaston  was  not  only  there  but 
was  engaged  in  conversation  with  the  grey-moustached 
gentleman  in  a  near-by  chair.  It  required  but  half  a 
glance  to  show  that  Mr.  Totten  was  unmistakably  in- 
terested in  something  the  voluble  lady  had  just  said 
to  him. 

"  No,  thank  you,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  said  Miss  Guile 
hastily,  and  then  hurried  over  to  her  chair,  a  distinct 
cloud  on  her  smooth  brow.  Robin,  considering  himself 
dismissed,  whirled  and  went  his  way,  a  dark  flush 
spreading  over  his  face.  Never,  in  all  his  life,  had  he 
been  quite  so  out  of  patience  with  the  world  as  on  this 
bright,  sunny  morning. 


THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS      165 

Miss  Guile's  frown  deepened  when  her  abrupt  ap- 
pearance at  Mrs.  Gaston's  side  caused  that  lady  to 
look  up  with  a  guilty  start  and  to  break  off  in  the  mid- 
dle of  a  sentence  that  had  begun  with :  "  Interna- 
tional marriages,  as  a  rule,  are  —  Oh !  " 

Mr.  Totten  arose  and  bowed  with  courtly  grace  to 
the  new  arrival  on  the  scene.  He  appeared  to  be  im- 
mensely relieved. 

"  A  lovely  morning,  Miss  Guile,"  he  said  as  he 
stooped  to  arrange  her  rug.  "  I  hear  that  you  were 
not  at  all  disturbed  by  yesterday's  blow." 

"  I  was  just  telling  Mr.  Totten  that  you  are  a  won- 
derful sailor,"  said  Mrs.  Gaston,  a  note  of  appeal  in 
her  voice.  "  He  says  his  friend,  Mr.  Schmidt,  is  also 
a  good  sailor.  Isn't  it  perfectly  wonderful?" 

"  I  can't  see  anything  wonderful  about  it,"  said 
Miss  Guile,  fixing  the  ex-governess  with  a  look  that 
seared. 

"  We  were  speaking  of  this  rumoured  engagement  of 
the  Prince  of  Graustark  and  —  er  —  what's  the 
name  ? "  He  glanced  at  his  newspaper.  "  Miss 
Blithers,  of  course.  I  enquired  of  Mrs. —  er  —  Gas- 
ton  if  she  happens  to  know  the  young  lady.  She  re- 
members seeing  her  frequently  as  a  very  small  child." 

"  In  Paris,"  said  Mrs.  Gaston.  "  One  couldn't  very 
well  help  seeing  her,  you  know.  She  was  the  only 
child  of  the  great  Mr.  Blithers,  whose  name  was  on 
every  one's  lips  at  the  — " 

Miss    Guile  interrupted.     "  It   would  be   like   the 


166        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

great  Mr.  Blithers  to  buy  this  toy  prince  for  his 
daughter  —  as  a  family  plaything  or  human  lap-dog, 
or  something  of  the  sort,  wouldn't  it?  " 

Mr.  Totten  betrayed  no  emotion  save  amusement* 
Miss  Guile  was  watching  through  half-closed  eyes. 
There  was  a  noticeable  stiffening  of  the  prim  figure 
of  Mrs.  Gaston. 

"  I've  no  doubt  Mr.  Blithers  can  afford  to  buy  the 
most  expensive  of  toys  for  his  only  child.  You  Ameri- 
cans go  in  for  the  luxuries  of  life.  What  could  be 
more  extravagant  than  the  purchase  of  a  royal  lap- 
dog?  The  only  drawback  I  can  suggest  is  that  the 
Prince  might  turn  out  to  bf  a  cur,,  and  then  where 
would  Mr.  Blithers  be?  " 

"  It  is  more  k>  the  point  to  ask  where  Miss  Blithers 
would  be,  Mr.  Totten,"  said  Miss  Guile,  with  a  smile 
that  caused  the  fierce  old  warrior  to  afterwards  de- 
clare to  Dank  that  he  never  had  seen  a  lovelier  girl  in 
all  his  life. 

"  Ah,  but  we  spoke  of  the  Prince  as  a  lap-dog  or  a 
cur,  Miss  Guile,  not  as  a  watch-dog,"  said  he. 

"  I  see,"  said  Miss  Guile,  after  a  moment.  "  He 
wouldn't  sleep  with  one  eye  open.  I  see." 

"  The  lap  of  luxury  is  an  enviable  resting-place.  I 
know  of  no  prince  who  would  despise  it." 

"  But  a  wife  is  sometimes  a  thing  to  be  despised," 
said  she. 

"Quite  true,"  said  Mr.  Totten.  "I've  no  doubt 
that  the  Prince  of  Graustark  will  despise  his  wife,  and 
for  that  reason  will  be  quite  content  to  close  both  eyes 


THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS      167 

and  let  her  go  on  searching  for  her  heart's  desire." 

"  She  would  be  his  Princess.  Could  he  afford  to 
allow  his  love  of  luxury  to  go  as  far  as  that?  " 

"  Quite  as  justifiably,  I  should  say,  as  Mr.  Blithers 
when  he  delivers  his  only  child  into  —  into  bondage." 

"  You  were  about  to  use  another  term." 

"  I  was,  but  I  thought  in  time,  Miss  Guile." 

R.  Schmidt  sauntered  briskly  past  at  this  juncture, 
looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  left.  They  watched 
him  until  he  disappeared  down  the  deck. 

"  I  think  Mr.  Schmidt  is  a  perfectly  delightful 
young  man,"  said  Mrs.  Gaston,  simply  because  she 
couldn't  help  it. 

"  You  really  think  he  will  marry  Miss  Blithers,  Mr. 
Totten  ?  "  ventured  Miss  Guile. 

"He?  Oh,  I  see  —  the  Prince?"  Mr.  Totten 
came  near  to  being  no  diplomat.  "  How  should  I 
know,  Miss  Guile  ?  " 

"  Of  course !     How  should  you  know  ?  "  she  cried. 

Mr.  Totten  found  something  to  interest  him  in  the 
printed  sheet  and  proceeded  to  read  it  with  consider- 
able avidity.  Miss  Guile  smiled  to  herself  and  pur- 
posely avoided  the  shocked  look  in  Mrs.  Gaston's  eyes. 

"  Bouillon  at  last,"  cried  the  agitated  duenna,  and 
peremptorily  summoned  one  of  the  tray-bearing  stew- 
ards. "  I  am  famished." 

Evidently  Mr.  Totten  did  not  care  for  his  mid-morn- 
ing refreshment,  for,  with  the  most  courtly  of  smiles, 
he  arose  and  left  them  to  their  bouillon. 

**  Here  comes  Mr.  Schmidt,"  whispered  Mrs.  Gastoo 


168        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

excitedly,  a  few  moments  later,  and  at  once  made  A 
movement  indicative  of  hasty  departure. 

"  Sit  still,"  said  Miss  Guile  peremptorily. 

R.  Schmidt  again  passed  them  by  without  so  much 
as  a  glance  in  their  direction.  There  was  a  very 
sweet  smile  on  Miss  Guile's  lips  as  she  closed  her  eyes 
and  lay  back  in  her  chair.  Once,  twice,  thrice,  even 
as  many  as  six  times  R.  Schmidt  strode  rapidly  by 
their  corner,  his  head  high  and  his  face  aglow. 

At  last  a  queer  little  pucker  appeared  on  the  serene 
brow  of  the  far  from  drowsy  young  lady  whose  eye* 
peeped  through  half  closed  lids.  Suddenly  she  threw 
off  her  rug  and  with  a  brief  remark  to  her  companion 
arose  and  went  to  her  cabin.  Mrs.  Gaston  followed, 
not  from  choice  but  because  the  brief  remark  was  in 
the  form  of  a  command. 

Soon  afterward,  R.  Schmidt  who  had  been  joined 
by  Dank,  threw  himself  into  his  chair  with  a  great 
sigh  of  fatigue  and  said: 

"  'Gad,  I've  walked  a  hundred  miles  since  break- 
fast. Have  you  a  match?  " 

**  Hobbs  has  made  a  very  curious  discovery,"  said 
the  young  lieutenant,  producing  his  match-box. 
There  was  a  perturbed  look  in  his  eyes. 

"  If  Hobbs  isn't  careful  he'll  discover  a  new  conti- 
nent one  of  these  days.  He  is  always  discovering 
something,"  said  Robin,  puffing  away  at  his  pipe. 

"  But  this  is  really  interesting.  It  seems  that  he 
was  in  the  hold  when  Miss  Guile's  maid  came  down  to 
get  into  one  of  her  mistress's  trunks.  Now,  the  first 


THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS      169 

letter  in  Guile  is  G,  isn't  it?  Well,  Hobbs  says  there 
are  at  least  half-a-dozen  trunks  there  belonging  to  the 
young  lady  and  that  all  of  them  are  marked  with  a 
large  red  B.  What  do  you  make  of  it?  " 

The    Prince    had    stopped    puffing    at    his    pipe. 

"  Hobbs  may  be  mistaken  in  the  maid,  Dank.  It 
is  likely  that  they  are  not  Miss  Guile's  trunks,  at  all." 

"  He  appears  to  be  absolutely  sure  of  his  ground. 
He  heard  the  maid  mention  Miss  Guile's  name  when 
she  directed  the  men  to  get  one  of  the  trunks  out  of  the 
pile.  That's  what  attracted  his  attention.  He  con- 
fided to  me  that  you  are  interested  in  the  young  lady, 
and  therefore  it  was  quite  natural  for  him  to  be  simi- 
larly affected.  *  Like  master,  like  man,'  d'ye  see?  " 

"  Really,  you  know,  Dank,  I  ought  to  dismiss 
Hobbs,"  said  Robin  irritably.  "  He  is  getting  to  be 
a  dreadful  nuisance.  Always  nosing  around,  trying 
to—" 

"  But  after  all,  sir,  you'll  have  to  admit  that  he  has 
made  a  puzzling  discovery.  Why  should  her  luggage 
be  marked  with  a  B  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  because  her  name  begins  with  a  B," 
said  Robin  shortly. 

"  In  that  case,  it  isn't  Guile." 

"  Obviously."  The  young  man  was  thinking  verj] 
i  hard. 

"  And  if  it  isn't  Guile,  there  must  be  an  excellent 
reason  for  her  sailing  under  a  false  name.  She  doesn't 
look  like  an  adventuress." 

R.  Schmidt  rewarded  this  remark  with  a  cold  stare. 


170        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

**  Would  you  mind  telling  me  what  she  does  look  like^ 
•Dank?  "  he  enquired  severely. 

The  lieutenant  flushed.  "  I  have  not  had  the  same 
opportunity  for  observation  that  you've  enjoyed,  sir, 
but  I  should  say,  off-hand,  that  she  looks  like  a  very 
Dangerous  young  person." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  imply  that  she  is  —  er  —  not  al- 
jtogether  what  one  would  call  right?  " 

Dank  grinned.  "  Don't  you  regard  her  as  rather 
[perilously  beautiful  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  see.  That's  what  you  mean.  I  suppose 
you  got  that  from  Hobbs,  too." 

"  Not  at  all.     I  have  an  excellent  pair  of  eyes." 

"  What  are  you  trying  to  get  at,  Dank  ?  "  demanded 
Robin  abruptly. 

"  I'm  trying  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  Miss  Guile'c 
guile,  if  it  please  your  royal  highness,"  said  the  lieu- 
tenant coolly.  "  It  is  hard  to  connect  the  B  and  the 
!G,  you  know." 

"  But  why  should  we  deny  her  a  privilege  that  we 
are  enjoying,  all  three  of  us?  Are  we  not  in  the  same 
boat?" 

"  Literally  and  figuratively.  That  explains  noth- 
ing, however." 

"  Have  you  a  theory?  " 

"  There  are  many  that  we  could  advance,  but,  of 
course,  only  one  of  them  could  be  the  right  one,  even 
if  we  were  acute  enough  to  include  it  in  our  list  of 
guesses.  She  may  have  an  imperative  reason  for  not 


THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS      17U 

disclosing  her  identity.  For  instance,  she  may  be 
running  away  to  get  married." 

"  That's  possible,"  agreed  Robin. 

"  But  not  probable.  She  may  be  a  popular  music- 
hall  favourite,  or  one  of  those  peculiarly  clever  crea- 
tures known  as  the  American  newspaper  woman, 
against  whom  we  have  been  warned.  Don't  you  re- 
gard it  as  rather  significant  that  of  all  the  people  on 
this  ship  she  should  be  one  to  attach  herself  to  the 
unrecognised  Prince  of  Graustark  ?  Put  two  and  two 
together,  sir,  and  — " 

"  I  find  it  singularly  difficult  to  put  one  and  one 
together,  Dank,"  said  the  Prince  ruefully.  "  No ;  you 
are  wrong  in  both  of  your  guesses.  I've  encountered 
music-hall  favourites  and  I  can  assure  you  she  isn't 
one  of  them.  And  as  for  your  statement  that  she  at- 
tached herself  to  me,  you  were  never  so  mistaken  ini 
your  life.  I  give  you  my  word,  she  doesn't  care  a 
hang  whether  I'm  on  the  ship  or  clinging  to  a  life  pre- 
server out  there  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic.  I  have 
reason  to  know,  Dank." 

"  So  be  it,"  said  Dank,  but  with  doubt  in  his  eyes, 
"You  ought  to  know.  I've  never  spoken  to  herp 
so—" 

"  She  thinks  you  are  a  dreadfully  attractive  chap, 
Dank,"  said  Robin  mischievously.  "  She  said  so  only] 
yesterday." 

Dank  gave  his  prince  a  disgusted  look,  and  smoked 
on  in  silence.  His  dignity  was  ruffled. 


*'  Her  Christian  name  is  Bedelia,"  ventured  Robin, 
»fter  a  pause. 

"  That  doesn't  get  us  anywhere,"  said  Dank  sourly. 

"  And  her  mother  is  Irish." 

"Which  accounts  for  those  wonderful  Irish  blue 
jcyes  that — " 

"  So  you've  noticed  them,  eh?  w 

"  Naturally." 

"  I  consider  them  a  very  dark  grey." 

"  I  think  we'd  better  get  back  to  the  luggage,"  said 
Dank  hastily.  "  Hobbs  thinks  that  she  — " 

"  Oh,  Lord,  Dank,  don't  tell  me  what  Hobbs  thinks," 
growled  Robin.  "  Let  her  make  use  of  all  the  letters 
in  the  alphabet  if  it  pleases  her.  What  is  it  to  us? 
Moreover,  she  may  be  utilising  a  lot  of  borrowed 
trunks,  who  knows?  Or  B  may  have  been  her  initial 
before  she  was  divorced  and  — " 

"  Divorced?  " 

" — her  maiden  name  restored,"  concluded  Robin 
airily.  "  Simple  deduction,  Dank.  Don't  bother 
jour  head  about  her  any  longer.  What  we  know  isn't 
going  to  hurt  us,  and  what  we  don't  know  isn't  — " 

"  Has  it  occurred  to  you  that  Russia  may  have  set 
spies  upon  you  — " 

'*  Nonsense ! " 

"  It  isn't  as  preposterous  as  you  ^—"  X 

"  Come,  old  fellow,  let's  forget  Miss  Guile,"  cried 
Robin,  slapping  the  lieutenant  on  the  shoulder. 
"Let's  think  of  the  real  peril, —  Maud  Applegate 


THE  LIEUTENANT  RECEIVES  ORDERS      173 

Blithers."     He  held  up  the  ship's  paper  for  Dank  to 
see  and  then  sat  back  to  enjoy  his  companion's  rage. 

An  hour  later  Dank  and  Count  Quinnox  might  have 
been  seen  seated  side  by  side  on  the  edge  of  a  skylight 
at  the  tip-top  of  the  ship's  structure,  engaged  in  the 
closest  conversation.  There  was  a  troubled  look  inj 
the  old  man's  eyes  and  the  light  of  adventure  in  those 
of  his  junior.  The  sum  and  substance  of  their  dis- 
cussion may  be  given  in  a  brief  sentence:  Something 
would  have  to  be  done  to  prevent  Robin  from  falling  in 
love  with  the  fascinating  Miss  Guile. 

"  He  is  young  enough  and  stubborn  enough  to  make 
a  fool  of  himself  over  her,"  the  Count  had  said.  "  I 
wouldn't  blame  him,  'pon  my  soul  I  wouldn't.  She 
is  very  attractive  —  ahem !  You  must  be  his  safe- 
guard, Dank.  Go  in  and  do  as  I  suggest.  You  are 
a  good  looking  chap  and  you've  nothing  to  lose.  So 
far  as  she  is  concerned,  you  are  quite  as  well  worth 
while  as  the  fellow  known  as  R.  Schmidt.  There's  no 
reason  why  you  shouldn't  make  the  remainder  of  the 
passage  pJeasant  for  her,  and  at  the  same  time  enjoy; 
yourself  at  nobody's  expense." 

"  They  know  by  instinct,  confound  'em,"  lamented 
Dank;  "  they  know  the  real  article,  and  you  can't  fool  I 
'em.  She  knows  that  he  is  the  high  muck-a-muck  in 
this  party  and  she  won't  even  look  at  me,  you  take  my 
word  for  it." 

"  At  any  rate,  you  can  try,  can't  you?  "  said  the 
Count  impatiently. 


174        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Is  it  a  command,  sir?  " 

«  It  is." 

"  Very  well,  sir.     I  shall  do  my  best." 

"  We  can't  afford  to  have  him  losing  his  head  over 
a  pretty  —  er  —  a  nobody,  perhaps  an  adventuress, 
i —  at  this  stage  of  the  game.  I  much  prefer  the  im- 
'  possible  Miss  Blithers,  Dank,  to  this  captivating  un- 
known. At  least  we  know  who  and  what  she  is,  and 
what  she  represents.  But  we  owe  it  to  our  country 
and  to  Dawsbergen  to  see  that  he  doesn't  do  anything 
—  er  —  foolish.  We  have  five  days  left  of  this  voy- 
age, Dank.  They  may  be  fatal  days  for  him,  if  you 
do  not  come  to  the  rescue." 

"  They  may  be  fatal  days  for  me,"  said  Dank, 
looking  out  over  the  ocean, 


CHAPTER    XII 

THE  LIEUTENANT  KEPOBTS 

FIVE  days  later  as  the  Jupiter  was  discharging  pas- 
sengers at  Plymouth,  Count  Quinnox  and  Lieutenant 
Dank  stood  well  forward  on  the  promenade  deck 
watching  the  operations.  The  younger  man  was 
moody  and  distrait,  an  unusual  condition  for  him  but 
one  that  had  been  noticeably  recurrent  during  the  past 
two  or  three  days.  He  pulled  at  his  smart  little 
moustache  and  looked  out  upon  the  world  through 
singularly  lack-lustre  eyes.  Something  had  gone 
wrong  with  him,  and  it  was  something  that  he  felt  in 
duty  bound  to  lay  before  his  superior,  the  grim  old 
Minister  of  War  and  hereditary  chief  of  the  Castle 
Guard.  Occasionally  his  sombre  gaze  shifted  to  a 
spot  farther  down  the  deck,  where  a  young  man  and 
woman  leaned  upon  the  rail  and  surveyed  the  scene 
of  activity  below. 

"  What  is  on  your  mind,  Dank  ?  "  asked  the  Count 
abruptly.  "  Out  with  it." 

Dank  started.  "  It's  true,  then?  I  do  look  as 
much  of  a  fool  as  I  feel,  eh?  "  There  was  bitterness 
in  his  usually  cheery  voice. 

"  Feel  like  a  fool,  eh?  "  growled  the  old  soldier. 

"  Pretty  mess  I've  made  of  the  business,"  lamented 

Dank  surlily.     "Putting  myself  up  as  a  contender 

175 


176        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

against  a  fellow  like  Robin,  and  dreaming  that  I  could 
win  out,  even  for  a  minute  1  Good  Lord,  what  an  ass 
I  am !  Why  we've  only  made  it  worse,  Count.  We've 
touched  him  with  the  spur  of  rivalry,  and  what  could 
be  more  calamitous  than  that?  From  being  a  rather 
matter-of-fact,  indifferent  observer,  he  becomes  a  be- 
wildering cavalier  bent  on  conquest  at  any  cost.  I  am 
swept  aside  as  if  I  were  a  parcel  of  rags.  For  two 
days  I  stood  between  him  and  the  incomparable  Miss 
Guile.  Then  he  suddenly  arouses  himself.  My  cake 
is  dough.  I  am  nobody.  My  feet  get  cold,  as  they 
say  in  America, —  although  I  don't  know  why  they 
say  it.  What  has  the  temperature  of  one's  feet  to  do 
with  it?  See!  There  they  are.  They  are  con- 
stantly together,  walking,  sitting,  standing,  eating, 
drinking,  reading  —  Eh  bien!  You  have  seen  with 
your  own  eyes.  The  beautiful  Miss  Guile  has  be- 
witched our  Prince,  and  my  labour  is  not  only  lost  but 
I  myself  am  lost.  Mem  dieu!  " 

The  Count  stared  at  him  in  perplexity  for  a  mo- 
ment. Then  a  look  of  surprise  came  into  his  eyes, — 
surprise  not  unmingled  with  scorn. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say,  Dank,  that  you've  fallen 
in  love  with  her?  Oh,  you  absurd  fledgelings.  Will 
you — " 

"  Forgive  my  insolence,  Count,  but  it  is  forty  years 
since  you  were  a  fledgeling.  You  don't  see  things  as 
you  saw  them  forty  years  ago.  Permit  me  to  remind 
you  that  you  are  a  grandfather." 

"  Your  point  is  well  taken,  my  lad,"  said  the  Count, 


THE  LIEUTENANT  REPORTS    177 

with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "  You  can't  help  being 
young  any  more  than  I  can  help  being  old.  Youth  is 
perennial,  old  age  a  winding-sheet.  I  am  to  take  it, 
then,  that  you've  lost  your  heart  to  the  fair  — " 

"Why  not?"  broke  in  Dank  fiercely.  "Why 
should  it  appear  incredible  to  you?  Is  she  not  the 
most  entrancing  creature  in  all  the  world?  Is  she  not 
the  most  appealing,  the  most  adorable,  the  most  fem- 
inine of  all  her  sex?  Is  it  possible  that  one  can  be 
so  old  that  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  feel  the  charm, 
the  loveliness,  the  — " 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  Dank,"  said  the  old  man  in 
alarm,  "  don't  gesticulate  so  wildly.  People  will  think 
we  are  quarrelling.  Calm  yourself,  my  boy." 

"  You  set  a  task  for  me  and  I  obey.  You  urge  me 
to  do  my  duty  by  Graustark.  You  tell  me  I  am  a 
handsome  dog  and  irresistible.  She  will  be  over- 
whelmed by  my  manly  beauty,  my  valour,  my  soldierly 
bearing, —  so  say  you !  And  what  is  the  outcome  ?  I 
< —  I,  the  vain-glorious, —  I  am  wrapped  around  her 
little  finger  so  tightly  that  all  the  king's  horses  and 
all  the  king's  men  — " 

"  Halt  I  "  commanded  his  general  softly.  "  You 
;  are  turning  tail  like  the  veriest  coward.  Right  about, 
face!  Would  you  surrender  to  a  slip  of  a  girl  whose 
only  weapons  are  a  pair  of  innocent  blue  eyes  and  a 
roguish  smile?  Be  a  man!  Stand  by  your  guns. 
Outwardly  you  are  the  equal  of  R.  Schmidt,  whose 
sole—"  " 

"  That  sounds  very  well,  sir,  but  how  can  I  take  up 


178         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

arms  against  my  Prince?  He  stands  by  his  guns — i 
as  you  may  see,  sir, —  and,  dammit  all,  I'm  no  traitor. 
I've  just  got  to  stand  by  'em  with  him.  That  rot 
about  all  being  fair  in  love  and  war  is  the  silliest  — 
Oh,  well,  there's  no  use  whining  about  it.  I'm  mad 
about  her,  and  so  is  he.  You  can't — " 

The  Count  stopped  him  with  a  sharp  gesture.  A 
look  of  real  concern  appeared  in  his  eyes. 

"  Do  you  believe  that  he  is  actually  in  love  with  this 
girl?"  ' 

"  Heels  over  head,"  barked  the  unhappy  lieutenant. 
"  I've  never  seen  a  worse  case." 

"  This  is  serious  —  more  serious  than  I  thought." 

"  It's  horrible,"  declared  Dank,  but  not  thinking  of 
the  situation  from  the  Count's  point  of  view. 

"  We  do  not  know  who  or  what  she  is.  She  may 
be—" 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  but  we  do  know  what  she 
is,"  said  the  other  firmly.  "  You  will  not  pretend  to 
say  that  she  is  not  a  gentlewoman.  She  is  cultured, 
refined  — " 

"  I  grant  all  of  that,"  said  the  Count.  "  I  am  not 
blind,  Dank.  But  it  seems  fairly  certain  that  her 
name  is  not  Guile.  We  — " 

"  Nor  is  his  name  Schmidt.  That's  no  argument, 
sir." 

"  Still  we  cannot  take  the  chance,  my  lad.  We 
must  put  an  end  to  this  fond  adventure.  Robin  is 
our  most  precious  possession.  We  must  not  —  Why 
do  you  shake  your  head?  " 


THE  LIEUTENANT  REPORTS    179 

'*  We  are  powerless,  sir.  If  he  makes  up  his  mind 
to  marry  Miss  Guile,  he'll  do  it  in  spite  of  anything 
we  can  do.  That  is,  provided  she  is  of  the  same 
mind." 

"  God  defend  us,  I  fear  you  are  right,"  groaned  the 
old  Count.  "  He  has  declared  himself  a  hundred  times, 
and  he  is  a  wilful  lad.  I  recall  the  uselessness  of  the 
opposition  that  was  set  up  against  his  lamented 
mother  when  she  decided  to  marry  Grenfell  Lorry. 
'Gad,  sir,  it  was  like  butting  into  a  stone  wall.  She 
said  she  would  and  she  did.  I  fear  me  that  Robin  has 
much  of  his  mother  in  him." 

"  Behold  in  me  the  first  sacrifice,"  declaimed  Dank, 
lifting  his  eyes  heavenward. 

"  Oh,  you  will  recover,"  was  the  unsympathetic 
rej  oinder.  "  It  is  for  him  that  I  fear,  not  for 
you." 

"Recover,  sir?"  in  despair.  "I  fear  you  mis- 
judge my  humble  heart  — " 

"  Bosh !  Your  heart  has  been  through  a  dozen  ac- 
cidents of  this  character,  Dank,  and  it  is  good  for  a 
hundred  more.  I'll  rejoice  when  this  voyage  is  ended 
and  we  have  him  safe  on  his  way  to  Edelweiss." 

"  That  will  not  make  the  slightest  difference,  sir. 
If  he  sets  his  head  to  marry  her  he'll  do  it  if  we  take 
him  to  the  North  Pole.  All  Graustark  can't  stop  him, 
1 — nor  old  man  Blithers  either.  Besides,  he  says  he 
isn't  going  to  Edelweiss  immediately." 

'*  That  is  news  to  me." 

"  I  thought  it  would  be.     He  came  to  the  decision 


180        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

not  more  than  two  hours  ago.     He  is  determined  to 
spend  a  couple  of  weeks  at  Interlaken." 

"Interlaken?" 

'*  Yes.  Miss  Guile  expects  to  stop  there  for  a  fort- 
night after  leaving  Paris." 

"  I  must  remonstrate  with  Robin  —  at  once,"  de- , 
clared  the  old  man.     "  He  is  needed  in  Graustark.     He 
must  be  made  to  realise  the  importance  of  — " 

"  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  if  he  declines  to 
realise  anything  but  the  importance  of  a  fortnight  in 
the  shadow  of  the  Jungf rau  ?  " 

"  God  help  me,  I  don't  know,  Dank."  The  Count's 
brow  was  moist,  and  he  looked  anything  but  an  uncon- 
querable soldier. 

"  I  told  him  we  were  expected  to  reach  home  by  the 
end  of  next  week,  and  he  said  that  a  quiet  fortnight  in 
the  Alps  would  make  new  men  of  all  of  UP."** 

'*  Do  you  mean  to  say  he  expects  me  to  daw- 
dle—" 

"  More  than  that,  sir.  He  also  expects  me  to  daw- 
dle too.  I  shall  probably  shoot  myself  before  the  two 
weeks  are  over." 

"  I  have  it !  I  shall  take  Mrs.  Gaston  into  my  con- 
fidence. It  is  the  only  hope,  I  fear.  I  shall  tell  her 
that  he  is—" 

"  No  hope  there,"  said  Dank  mournfully. 
"  Haven't  you  noticed  how  keen  she  is  to  have  them 
together  all  the  time?  She's  as  wily  as  a  fox.  Never 
misses  a  chance.  Hasn't  it  occurred  to  you  to  wonder 
why  she  drags  you  off  on  the  slightest  pretext  when 


THE  LIEUTENANT  REPORTS    181 

you  happen  to  be  in  the  way  ?  She's  done  it  a  hundred 
times.  Always  leaving  them  alone  together,,  My 
God,  how  I  despise  that  woman!  Not  once  but 
twenty  times  a  day  she  finds  an  excuse  to  interfere 
when  I  am  trying  to  get  in  a  few  words  with  Miss 
Guile.  She's  forever  wanting  me  to  show  her  the  en- 
gine-room or  the  Captain's  bridge  or  the  wireless  office 
or  —  why,  by  j  ove,  sir,  it  was  only  yesterday  that  she 
asked  me  to  come  and  look  at  the  waves.  Said  she'd 
found  a  splendid  place  to  see  them  from,  just  as  if 
the  whole  damned  Atlantic  wasn't  full  of  'em.  And 
isn't  she  always  looking  for  porpoises  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  ship  ?  And  how  many  whales  and  ice-bergs 
do  you  think  she's  been  trying  to  find  in  the  last  five 
days  ?  No,  sir !  There's  no  hope  there !  " 

"  'Pon  my  soul ! "  was  all  that  the  poor  Minister  of 
War,  an  adept  in  strategy,  was  able  to  exclaim. 

The  Jupiter  disgorged  most  of  her  passengers  at 
Cherbourg  and  the  descent  upon  Paris  had  scarcely 
begun  when  the  good  ship  steamed  away  for  Antwerp, 
Bremen  and  Hamburg.  She  was  one  of  the  older  ves- 
sels in  the  vast  fleet  of  ships  controlled  by  the  Ameri- 
can All-Seas  and  All-Ports  Company,  and  she  called 
wherever  there  was  a  port  open  to  trans- Atlantic  navi- 
gation. She  was  a  single  factor  in  the  great  monopoly 
described  as  the  "  Billion  Dollar  Boast."  The  United 
States  had  been  slow  to  recognise  the  profits  of  seas 
that  were  free,  but  when  she  did  wake  up  she  pro* 
ceeded  to  act  as  if  she  owned  them  and  all  that  therein 
Vjr.  Her  people  spoke  of  the  Gulf  Stream  as  "  ours  " ; 


of  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland  as  "  ours  " —  or  in 
some  instances  as  "  ourn  " ;  of  Liverpool,  Hamburg, 
London,  Bremen  and  other  such  places  as  "  our  Euro- 
pean terminals  " ;  and  of  the  various  oceans,  seas  and 
navigable  waters  as  "  a  part  of  the  system."  Where 
once  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  as  rare  as  humming- 
birds in  Baffin's  Bay,  the  flags  were  now  so  thick  that 
they  resembled  Fourth  of  July  decorations  on  Fifth 
avenue,  and  it  was  almost  impossible  to  cross  the  At- 
lantic without  dodging  a  hundred  vessels  on  which 
Dixie  was  being  played,  coming  and  going.  A  man 
from  New  Hampshire  declared,  after  one  of  his  trips 
over  and  back,  that  he  cheered  the  good  old  tune  so 
incessantly  that  his  voice  failed  on  the  third  day  out, 
both  ways,  and  he  had  to  voice  his  patriotism  with  a 
tin  horn. 

Ships  of  the  All-Seas  and  All-Ports  Company  fairly 
stuffed  the  harbours  of  the  world.  America  was  awake 
at  last  —  wide  awake !  —  and  the  necessity  for  prod- 
ding her  was  now  limited  to  the  task  of  putting  her  to 
sleep  long  enough  to  allow  other  nations  a  chance  to 
scrape  together  enough  able  bodied  seamen  to  man  the 
ships. 

William  W.  Blithers  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
All-Seas  and  All-Ports  Company.  He  was  the  first 
American  to  awake. 

For  some  unaccountable  reason  Miss  Guile  and  her 
companion  preferred  to  travel  alone  to  Paris.  They 
had  a  private  compartment,  over  which  a  respectful 
but  adamantine  conductor  exercised  an  authority  that 


THE  LIEUTENANT  REPORTS    188 

irritated  R.  Schmidt  beyond  expression.  The  rest  of 
the  train  was  crowded  to  its  capacity,  and  here  was  de- 
sirable space  going  to  waste  in  the  section  occupied 
by  the  selfish  Miss  Guile.  He  couldn't  understand 
it  in  her.  Was  it,  after  all,  to  be  put  down  as  a  simple 
steamer  encounter?  Was  she  deliberately  snubbing 
him,  now  that  they  were  on  land?  Was  he,  a  prince 
of  the  royal  blood,  to  be  tossed  aside  by  this  purse- 
proud  American  as  if  he  were  the  simplest  of  simple- 
tons? And  what  did  she  mean  by  stationing  an  offi- 
cious hireling  before  her  door  to  order  him  away  when 
he  undertook  to  pay  her  a  friendly  visit?  —  to  offer 
his  own  and  Hobbs'  services  in  case  they  were  needed 
in  Paris.  Why  should  she  lock  her  confounded  door 
anyway, —  and  draw  the  curtains  ?  There  were  other 
whys  too  numerous  to  mention,  and  there  wasn't  an 
answer  to  a  single  one  of  them.  The  whole  proceed- 
ing was  incomprehensible. 

To  begin  with,  she  certainly  made  no  effort  to  con- 
ceal the  fact  that  she  was  trying  to  avoid  him  from 
the  instant  the  tender  drew  alongside  to  take  off  the 
passengers.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  seemed  to  be 
making  a  point  of  it.  And  yet,  the  evening  before, 
she  had  appeared  rather  enchanted  with  the  prospect 
of  seeing  him  at  Interlaken. 

It  was  not  until  the  boat-train  was  nearing  the  en- 
virons of  Paris  that  Hobbs  threw  some  light  over  the 
situation,  with  the  result  that  it  instantly  became 
darker  than  ever  before.  It  appears  that  Miss  Guile 
was  met  at  the  landing  by  a  very  good-looking  young 


184        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

man  who  not  only  escorted  her  to  the  train  but  actii"8 
ally  entered  it  with  her,  and  was  even  now  enjoying 
the  luxury  of  a  private  compartment  as  well  as  the  con- 
tents of  a  large  luncheon  hamper,  to  say  nothing  of  an 
uninterrupted  view  of  something  far  more  inspiring 
than  the  scenery. 

"Frenchman?  "  inquired  Dank  listlessly. 

"  American,  I  should  say,  sir,"  said  Hobbs,  balancing 
himself  in  the  corridor  outside  the  door  and  sticking 
his  head  inside  with  more  confidence  than  a  traveller 
usually  feels  when  travelling  from  Cherbourg  to  Paris. 
"  But  I  wouldn't  swear  to  it,  sir.  I  didn't  'ear  a 
word  he  said,  being  quite  some  distance  away  at  the 
time.  Happearances  are  deceptive,  as  I've  said  a 
great  many  times.  A  man  may  look  like  an  American 
and  still  be  almost  anything  else,  see  wot  I  mean  ?  On 
the  other  hand,  a  man  may  look  like  almost  nothing 
and  still  be  American  to  his  toes.  I  remember  once 
saying  to  — " 

"That's  all  right,  Hobbs,"  broke  in  R.  Schmidt 
sternly.  "  We  also  remember  what  you  said,  so  don't 
repeat  it.  How  soon  do  we  get  in?  " 

Hobbs  cheerfully  looked  at  his  watch.  "  I  couldn't 
say  positive,  sir,  but  I  should  think  in  about  fourteen 
and  a  'alf  minutes,  or  maybe  a  shade  under  —  be- 
tween fourteen  and  fourteen  and  a  'alf,  sir.  As  I  was 
saying,  he  was  a  most  intelligent  looking  chap,  sir,  and 
very  'andsome  of  face  and  figger.  Between  twenty- 
four  and  twenty-five,  I  dare  say.  Light  haired, 
smooth-faced,  quite  tall  and  dressed  in  dark  blue  with 


THE  LIEUTENANT  REPORTS 

a  cravat,  sir,  that  looked  like  cerise  but  may  have 
bee^  — " 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  Hobbs,  let  up ! "  cried  Robin, 
throwing  up  his  hands. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  certainly,  sir.  Did  I  mention  that  he 
wears  a  straw  'at  with  a  crimson  band  on  it? 
Well,  if  I  didn't,  he  does.  Hincidentally,  they  seemed 
greatly  pleased  to  see  each  other.  He  kissed  her  hand, 
and  looked  as  though  he  might  have  gone  even  farther 
than  that  if  it  'adn't  been  for  the  crowd  — " 

"  That  will  do !  "  said  Robin  sharply,  a  sudden  flush 
mounting  to  his  cheek. 

"  Very  good,  sir.  Shall  I  get  the  bags  down  for 
the  porters,  sir?  I  beg  pardon,  sir, — "  to  one  of  the 
three  surly  gentlemen  who  sat  facing  the  travellers 
from  Graustark, — "  my  fault  entirely.  I  don't  believe 
it  is  damaged,  sir.  Allow  me  to  — " 

"  Thank  you,"  growled  the  stranger.  "  I  can  put 
it  on  myself,"  and  he  jerked  his  hat  out  of  Hobbs' 
hand  and  set  it  at  a  rather  forbidding  angle  above  a 
lowering  brow.  "  Look  what  you're  doing  after  this, 
will  you  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  sir,"  said  Hobbs  agreeably.  "  It's  al- 
most impossible  to  see  without  eyes  in  the  back  of  one's 
head,  don't  you  know.  I  'ope  — " 

"  All  right,  all  right ! "  snapped  the  man,  glaring 
balefully.  "  And  let  me  tell  you  something  else,  my 
man.  Don't  go  about  knocking  Americans  without 
frst  taking  a  look.  Just  bear  that  in  mind,  will 
you?  " 


186        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  The  surest  way  is  to  listen,"  began  Hobbs  loftily, 
but,  catching  a  look  from  his  royal  master,  desisted. 
He  proceeded  to  get  down  the  hand  luggage. 

At  the  Gare  St.  Lazare,  Robin  had  a  brief  glimpse 
of  Miss  Guile  as  she  hurried  with  the  crowd  down  to 
the  cab  enclosure,  where  her  escort,  the  alert  young 
stranger,  put  her  into  a  waiting  limousine,  bundled 
Mrs.  Gaston  and  Marie  in  after  her,  and  then  dashed 
away,  obviously  to  see  their  luggage  through  the 
douane. 

She  espied  the  tall  figure  of  her  fellow  voyager  near 
the  steps  and  leaned  forward  to  wave  a  perfunctory 
farewell  to  him.  The  car  was  creeping  out  toward 
the  packed  thoroughfare.  It  is  possible  that  she  ex- 
pected him  to  dash  among  the  chortling  machines,  at 
risk  of  life  or  limb,  for  a  word  or  two  at  parting.  If 
so,  she  was  disappointed.  He  remained  perfectly  still, 
with  uplifted  hat,  a  faint  smile  on  his  lips  and  not  the 
slightest  sign  of  annoyance  in  his  face.  She  smiled 
securely  to  herself  as  she  leaned  back  in  the  seat,  and 
was  satisfied!  Curiosity  set  its  demand  upon  her  an 
instant  later,  however,  and  she  peered  slyly  through 
the  little  window  in  the  back.  He  lifted  his  hat  once 
more  and  she  flushed  to  her  throat  as  she  quickly  drew 
back  into  the  corner.  How  in  the  world  could  he 
have  seen  her  through  that  abominable  slit  in  the 
limousine?  And  why  was  he  now  grinning  so 
broadly  ? 

Count  Quinnox  found  him  standing  there  a  few 
minutes  later,  twirling  his  stick  and  smiling  with  hia 


THE  LIEUTENANT  REPORTS    187 

eyes.  Accompanying  the  old  soldier  was  a  slight, 
sharp-featured  man  with  keen  black  eyes  and  a  thin, 
pointed  moustache  of  grey. 

This  man  was  Gourou,  Chief  of  Police  and  Com- 
mander of  the  Tower  in  Edelweiss,  successor  to  the 
celebrated  Baron  Dangloss.  After  he  had  greeted  his 
prince,  the  quiet  little  man  announced  that  he  had  re- 
served for  him  an  apartment  at  the  Bristol. 

"  I  am  instructed  by  the  Prime  Minister,  your  high- 
ness, to  urge  your  immediate  return  to  Edelweiss,"  he 
went  on,  lowering  his  voice.  "  The  people  are  dis- 
turbed by  the  reports  that  have  reached  us  during  the 
past  week  or  two,  and  Baron  Romano  is  convinced 
that  nothing  will  serve  to  subdue  the  feeling  of  uneasi- 
ness that  prevails  except  your  own  declaration  —  in 
person  —  that  these  reports  are  untrue." 

"  I  shall  telegraph  at  once  to  Baron  Romano  that 
it  is  all  poppy-cock,"  said  Robin  easily.  "  I  refer,  of 
course,  to  the  reported  engagement.  I  am  not  going 
to  marry  Miss  Blithers  and  that's  all  there  is  to  be 
said.  You  may  see  to  it,  baron,  that  a  statement  is 
issued  to  all  of  the  Paris  newspapers  to-day,  and  to 
the  correspondents  for  all  the  great  papers  in  Europe 
and  America.  I  have  prepared  this  statement,  under 
my  own  signature,  and  it  is  to  be  the  last  word  in 
the  matter.  It  is  in  my  pocket  at  this  instant.  You 
shall  have  it  when  we  reach  the  hotel  —  And  that  re- 
minds me  of  another  thing.  I'm  sorry  that  I  shall 
have  to  ask  you  to  countermand  the  reservation  for 
rooms  at  the  hotel  you  mention.  I  have  already  re- 


188        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

served  rooms  at  the  Ritz, —  by  wireless.  We  shall 
stop  there.  Where  is  Dank  ?  " 

"  The  Ritz  is  hardly  the  place  for  — " 

But  Robin  clapped  him  on  the  back  and  favoured 
him  with  the  good-natured,  boyish  smile  that  mastered 
even  the  fiercest  of  his  counsellors,  and  the  Minister 
of  Police,  being  an  astute  man,  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of 
resignation. 

"  Dank  is  looking  after  the  trunks,  highness,  and 
Hobbs  is  coming  along  with  the  hand  luggage,"  he 
said.  "The  Ritz,  you  say?  Then  I  shall  have  to 
instruct  Lieutenant  Dank  to  send  the  luggage  there 
instead  of  to  the  Bristol.  Pardon,  your  highness." 
He  was  off  like  a  flash. 

Count  Quinnox  was  gnawing  his  moustache.  "  See 
here,  Robin,"  he  said,  laying  his  hand  on  the  young 
man's  shoulder,  "  you  are  in  Paris  now  and  not  on 
board  a  ship  at  sea.  Miss  Guile  is  a  beautiful,  charm- 
ing, highly  estimable  young  woman,  and,  I  might  as 
well  say  it  straight  out  to  your  face,  you  ought  not  to 
subject  her  to  the  notoriety  that  is  bound  to  follow  if 
the  newspapers  learn  that  she  is  playing  around  Paris, 
no  matter  how  innocently,  with  a  prince  whom  — " 

"  Just  a  moment,  Count,"  interrupted  Robin,  a  cold 
light  in  his  now  unsmiling  eyes.  "  You  are  getting 
a  little  ahead  of  the  game.  Miss  Guile  is  not  going 
to  the  Ritz,  nor  do  I  expect  her  to  play  around  Paris 
with  me.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  refused  to  tell  me 
where  she  is  to  stop  while  here,  and  I  am  uncom- 
fortably certain  that  I  shall  not  see  her  unless  by 


THE  LIEUTENANT  REPORTS    189 

chance.  On  the  other  hand,  I  may  as  well  be  per- 
fectly frank  with  you  and  say  it  straight  out  to  your 
face  that  I  am  going  to  try  to  find  her  if  possible, 
but  I  am  not  mean  enough  to  employ  the  methods  com- 
mon to  such  enterprises.  I  could  have  followed  her 
car  in  another  when  she  left  here  a  few  minutes  ago ; 
I  could  manage  in  a  dozen  ways  to  run  her  to  earth, 
as  the  detectives  do  in  the  books,  but  I'd  be  ashamed 
to  look  her  in  the  face  if  I  did  any  of  these  things. 
I  shall  take  a  gentleman's  chance,  my  dear  Count,  and 
trust  to  luck  and  the  generosity  of  fate.  You  may 
be  sure  that  I  shall  not  annoy  Miss  Guile,  and  you1 
may  be  equally  sure  that  she  — " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Robin,  but  I  did  not  employ; 
the  word  annoy,"  protested  the  Count. 

" —  that  she  takes  me  for  a  gentleman  if  not  for  a 
prince,"  went  on  Robin,  deliberately  completing  the 
sentence  before  he  smiled  his  forgiveness  upon  the  old 
man.  "  I  selected  the  Ritz  because  all  rich  Ameri- 
cans go  there,  I'm  told.  I'm  taking  a  chance." 

Quinnox  had  an  obstinate  strain  in  his  make-up. 
He  continued :  "  There  is  another  side  to  the  case, 
my  boy.  As  a  gentleman,  you  cannot  allow  this  lovely 
girl  to  —  er  —  well,  to  fall  in  love  with  you.  That 
would  be  cruel,  wantonly  cruel.  And  it  is  just  the 
thing  that  is  bound  to  happen  if  you  go  on  with  — " 

"  My  dear  Count,  you  forget  that  I  am  only  R. 
Schmidt  to  her  and  but  one  of  perhaps  a  hundred 
young  men  who  have  placed  her  in  the  same  perilous 
position.  Moreover,  it's  the  other  way  'round,  sir. 


190        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

It  is  I  who  take  the  risk,  not  Miss  Guile.  I  regret  to 
say,  sir,  that  if  there  is  to  be  any  falling  in  love,  I  am 
the  one  who  is  most  likely  to  fall,  and  to  fall  hard. ' 
You  assume  that  Miss  Guile  is  heart-whole  and  fancy 
free.  'Gad,  I  wish  that  I  could  be  sure  of  it ! "  He 
spoke  with  such  fervour  that  the  Count  was  indeed  dis« 
mayed. 

"  Robin,  my  lad,  I  beg  of  you  to  consider  the  conse* 
quences  that — " 

"  There's  no  use  discussing  it,  old  friend.  Trust 
to  luck.  There  is  a  bully  good  chance  that  she  will 
send  me  about  my  business  when  the  time  comes 
and  then  the  salvation  of  Graustark  will  be  as- 
sured." He  said  it  lightly  but  there  was  a  dark  look 
in  his  eyes  that  belied  the  jaunty  words. 

"  Am  I  to  understand  that  you  intend  to  —  to  ask 
her  to  marry  you?  "  demanded  the  Count,  profoundly 
troubled.  "  Remember,  boy,  that  you  are  the  Prince 
of  Graustark,  that  you  — " 

"  But  I'm  not  going  to  ask  her  to  marry  the  Prince 
of  Graustark.  I'm  going  to  ask  her  to  marry  R. 
Schmidt,"  said  Robin  composedly. 

"  God  defend  us,  Robin,  I  —  I  — " 

"  God  has  all  he  can  do  to  defend  us  from  William 
W.  Blithers,  Count.  Don't  ask  too  much  of  him. 
What  kind  of  a  nation  are  we  if  we  can't  get  along 
without  asking  God  to  defend  us  every  time  we  see 
trouble  ahead?  And  do  you  suppose  he  is  going  to 
defend  us  against  a  slip  of  a  girl  — " 


THE  LIEUTENANT  REPORTS          191 

"  Enough !  Enough !  "  cried  the  Count,  compress- 
ing his  lips  and  glaring  straight  ahead. 

"  That's  the  way  to  talk,"  cried  Robin  enthusias- 
tically. "  By  the  way,  I  hope  Dank  is  clever  enough 
to  find  out  who  that  young  fellow  is  while  they  are 
clearing  the  luggage  in  there.  I  had  a  good  look  at 
him  just  now.  He  is  all  that  Hobbs  describes  and  a 
little  more.  He  is  a  hustler.'* 


CHAPTER     XIII 

THE  BED   LETTER  B 

IN  the  Baron's  room  at  the  Ritz  late  that  night  there 
was  held  a  secret  conference.  Two  shadowy  figures 
stole  down  the  corridor  at  midnight  and  were  admit- 
ted to  the  room,  while  Prince  Robin  slept  soundly  in 
his  remote  four-poster  and  dreamed  of  something  that 
brought  a  gentle  smile  to  his  lips. 

The  three  conspirators  were  of  the  same  mind: 
it  was  clear  that  something  must  be  done.  But  what  ? 
That  was  the  question.  Gourou  declared  that  the  peo- 
ple were  very  much  disturbed  over  the  trick  the  great 
capitalist  had  played  upon  the  cabinet;  there  were 
sullen  threats  of  a  revolt  if  the  government  insisted  on 
the  deposit  of  bonds  as  required  by  the  agreement. 
More  than  that,  there  were  open  declarations  that  the 
daughter  of  Mr.  Blithers  would  never  be  permitted  to 
occupy  the  throne  of  Graustark.  Deeply  as  his  sub- 
jects loved  the  young  Prince,  they  would  force  him  to 
abdicate  rather  than  submit  to  the  desecration  of  a 
throne  that  had  never  been  dishonoured.  They  would 
accept  William  W.  Blithers'  money,  but  they  would 
have  none  of  William  W.  Blithers'  daughter.  That 
was  more  than  could  be  expected  of  any  self-respecting 
people !  According  to  the  Minister  of  Police,  the  name 
of  Blithers  was  already  a  common  synonym  for  afflic- 
tion —  and  frequently  employed  in  supposing  a  male- 

193 


THE  RED  LETTER  B  193 

diction.  It  signified  all  that  was  mean,  treacherous, 
scurrilous.  He  was  spoken  of  through  clenched  teeth 
as  "  the  blood  sucker."  Children  were  ominously  re- 
proved by  the  threatening  use  of  the  word  Blithers. 
"  Blithers  will  get  you  if  you  don't  wash  your  face," 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing. 

There  was  talk  in  some  circles  of  demanding  the 
resignation  of  the  cabinet,  but  even  the  pessimistic 
Gourou  admitted  that  it  was  idle  talk  and  would  come 
to  nothing  if  the  menacing  shadow  of  Maud  Apple- 
gate  Blithers  could  be  banished  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
throne.  Graustarkians  would  abide  by  the  compact 
made  by  their  leading  men  and  would  be  content  to 
regard  Mr.  Blithers  as  a  bona  fide  creditor.  They 
would  pay  him  in  full  when  the  loan  matured,  even 
though  they  were  compelled  to  sacrifice  their  houses 
in  order  to  accomplish  that  end.  But,  like  all  the 
rest  of  the  world,  they  saw  through  the  rich  Ameri- 
can's scheme. 

The  world  knew,  and  Graustark  knew,  just  what 
Mr.  Blithers  was  after,  and  the  worst  of  it  all  was 
that  Mr.  Blithers  also  knew,  which  was  more  to  the 
point.  But,  said  Baron  Gourou,  Graustark  knew 
something  that  neither  the  world  nor  Mr.  Blithers 
knew,  and  that  was  its  own  mind.  Never,  said  he, 
would  Maud  Applegate  be  recognised  as  the  Princess 
of  Graustark,  not  if  she  lived  for  a  thousand  years  and 
married  Robin  as  many  times  as  she  had  hairs  on  her 
head.  At  least,  he  amended,  that  was  the  way  every 
one  felt  about  it  at  present. 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

The  afternoon  papers  had  published  the  brief  state- 
ment prepared  by  Robin  in  the  seclusion  of  his  state- 
room on  board  the  Jupiter  immediately  after  a  most 
enjoyable  hour  with  Miss  Guile.  It  was  a  curt  and 
extremely  positive  denial  of  the  rumoured  engagement, 
with  the  additional  information  that  he  never  had  seen 
Miss  Blithers  and  was  more  or  less  certain  that  she 
never  had  set  eyes  on  him. 

A  rather  staggering  co-incidence  appeared  with  the 
published  report  that  Miss  Blithers  herself  was  sup- 
posed to  be  somewhere  in  Europe,  word  having  been 
received  that  day  from  sources  in  London  that  she 
had  sailed  from  New  York  under  an  assumed  name. 
The  imaginative  French  journals  put  two  and  two 
together  and  dwelt  upon  the  possibility  that  the  two 
young  people  who  had  never  seen  each  other  might 
have  crossed  the  Atlantic  on  the  same  steamer,  seeing 
each  other  frequently  and  yet  remaining  entirely  in  the 
dark,  so  to  speak.  Inspired  writers  began  to  weave 
a  romance  out  of  the  probabilities. 

On  one  point  Robin  was  adamantine.  He  refused 
positively  to  have  his  identity  disclosed  at  this  timt, 
and  Gourou  had  to  say  to  the  newspapers  that  the 
Prince  was  even  then  on  his  way  to  Vienna,  hurrying 
homeward  as  fast  as  steel  cars  could  carry  him.  He 
admitted  that  the  young  man  had  arrived  on  the 
Jupiter  that  morning,  having  remained  in  the  closest 
seclusion  all  the  way  across  the  Atlantic. 

This  equivocation  necessitated  the  most  cautious  re- 
arrangement of  plans  on  the  part  of  the  Baron.  He 


THE  RED  LETTER  B  195 

was  required  to  act  as  though  he  had  no  acquaintance 
with  either  of  the  three  travellers  stopping  at  the  Ritz, 
although  for  obvious  reasons  he  took  up  a  temporary 
abode  there  himself.  Moreover,  he  had  to  telegraph 
the  Prime  Minister  in  Edelweiss  that  the  Prince  was 
not  to  be  budged,  and  would  in  all  likelihood  postpone 
his  return  to  the  capitol.  All  of  which  stamped  the 
honest  Baron  as  a  most  prodigious  liar,  if  one  stops 
to  think  of  what  he  said  to  the  reporters. 

The  newspapers  also  printed  a  definite  bit  of  news 
in  the  shape  of  a  despatch  from  New  York  to  the 
effect  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  W.  Blithers  were 
sailing  for  Europe  on  the  ensuing  day,  bound  for 
Graustark ! 

However,  the  chief  and  present  concern  of  the  three 
loyal  gentlemen  in  midnight  conclave  was  not  centred 
in  the  trouble  that  Mr.  Blithers  had  started,  but  in 
the  more  desperate  situation  created  by  Miss  Guile. 
She  was  the  peril  that  now  confronted  them,  and  she 
was  indeed  a  peril.  Quinnox  and  Dank  explained  the 
situation  to  the  Minister  of  Police,  and  the  Minister 
( of  Police  admitted  that  the  deuce  was  to  pay. 

"  There  is  but  one  way  out  of  it,"  said  he,  speaking 
officially,  "  and  that  is  the  simplest  one  I  know  of." 

"  Assassination,  I  suppose,"  said  Dank  scornfully. 

"  It  rests  with  me,  gentlemen,"  said  the  Baron, 
ignoring  the  lieutenant's  remark,  "  to  find  Miss  Guile 
and  take  her  into  my  confidence  in  respect — " 

"  No  use,"  said  Dank,  and,  to  his  surprise,  the  Count 
repeated  the  words  after  him. 


196 

"Miss  Guile  is  a  lady,  Baron,"  said  the  latter 
gloomily.  "  You  cannot  go  to  her  with  a  command 
to  clear  out,  keep  her  hands  off,  or  any  such  thing. 
She  would  be  justified  in  having  you  kicked  out  of  the 
house.  We  must  not  annoy  Miss  Guile.  That  is 
quite  out  of  the  question." 

"By  jove!"  exclaimed  Dank,  so  loudly  that  his 
companions  actually  jumped  in  their  seats.  They 
looked  at  him  in  amazement, —  the  Count  with  some- 
thing akin  to  apprehension  in  his  eyes.  Had  the  fel- 
low lost  his  mind  over  the  girl?  Before  they  could 
ask  what  he  meant  by  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
he  repeated  the  ejaculation,  but  less  explosively.  His 
eyes  were  bulging  and  his  mouth  remained  agape. 

"  What  ails  you,  Dank  ?  "  demanded  the  Baron,  re- 
moving his  eyes  from  the  young  man's  face  long 
enough  to  glance  fearfully  at  the  transom. 

"  I've  —  I've  got  it ! "  cried  the  soldier,  and  then 
sank  back  in  his  chair,  quite  out  of  breath.  The 
Baron  got  up  and  took  a  peep  into  the  hallway,  and 
then  carefully  locked  the  door.  "  What  are  you  lock- 
ing the  door  for?  "  demanded  Dank,  sitting  up  sud- 
denly. "  It's  only  a  theory  that  I've  got  —  but  it  is 
wonderful.  Absolutely  staggering." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Gourou,  but  he  did  not  unlock  the  door. 
"A  theory,  eh?"  He  came  back  and  stood  facing 
the  young  man. 

"  Count,"  began  Dank  excitedly,  "  you  remember 
the  big  red  letter  B  on  all  of  her  trunks,  don't  you? 
Hobbs  is  positive  he  — n 


THE  RED  LETTER  B  197 

Count  Quinnox  sprang  to  his  feet  and  banged  the 
table  with  his  fist. 

"  By  j  ove !  "  he  shouted,  suddenly  comprehending. 

"  The  letter  B  ?  "  queried  Gourou,  perplexed. 

"  The  newspapers  say  that  she  sailed  from  New 
York  under  an  assumed  name,"  went  on  Dank,  thrilled 
by  his  own  amazing  cleverness.  "  There  you  are ! 
Plain  as  day.  The  letter  B  explains  everything. 
Now  we  know  who  Miss  Guile  really  is.  She's  — " 

"  Maud !  "  exclaimed  Quinnox,  sinking  back  into  his 
chair. 

"  Miss  Blithers ! "  cried  Gourou,  divining  at  last. 
"By  jove!"  And  thus  was  the  jovian  circle  com- 
pleted. 

It  was  two  o'clock  before  the  three  gentlemen 
separated  and  retired  to  rest,  each  fully  convinced  that 
the  situation  was  even  more  complicated  than  before, 
for  in  view  of  this  new  and  most  convincing  revela- 
tion there  now  could  be  no  adequate  defence  against 
the  alluring  Miss  Guile. 

Robin  was  informed  bright  and  early  the  next  morn- 
ing. In  fact,  he  was  still  in  his  pajamas  when  the 
news  was  carried  to  him  by  the  exhausted  Dank,  who 
had  spent  five  hours  in  bed  but  none  in  slumber. 
Never  in  all  his  ardent  career  had  the  smart  lieuten- 
ant been  so  bitterly  afflicted  with  love-sickness  as  now. 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it,"  said  the  Prince 
promptly.  "  You've  been  dreaming,  old  chap." 

"  That  letter  B  isn't  a  dream,  is  it?  " 

"  No,  it  isn't,"  said  Robin,  and  instantly  sat  up 


198        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

in  bed,  his  face  very  serious.  "  If  she  should  turn 
out  to  be  Miss  Blithers,  I've  cooked  my  goose  to  a 
crisp.  Good  Lord,  when  I  think  of  some  of  the  things 
I  said  to  her  about  the  Blithers  family!  But  wait! 
If  she  is  Miss  Blithers  do  you  suppose  she'd  sit  calmly 
by  and  hear  the  family  ridiculed?  No,  sir!  Shi 
would  have  taken  my  h«ad  off  like  a  flash.  She  — " 

"  I've  no  doubt  she  regarded  the  situation  as  ex- 
tremely humorous,"  said  Dank,  "  and  laughed  herself 
almost  sick  over  the  way  she  was  fooling  you." 

"  That  might  sound  reasonable  enough,  Dank,  if 
she  had  known  who  I  was.  But  where  was  the  fun 
in  fooling  an  utter  outsider  like  R.  Schmidt?  It 
doesn't  hold  together." 

"  Americans  have  an  amazing  notion  of  humour,  I 
am  reliably  informed.  They  appear  to  be  able  to  see 
a  joke  under  the  most  distressing  circumstances.  I'll 
stake  my  head  that  she  is  Miss  Blithers." 

"  I  can't  imagine  anything  more  terrible,"  groaned 
Robin,  lying  down  flat  again  and  staring  at  the  ceiling. 

"  I  shouldn't  call  her  terrible,"  protested  Dank, 
rather  stiffly. 

"  I  refer  to  the  situation,  Dank, —  the  mess,  in. 
other  words.  It  is  a  mess,  isn't  it?  " 

"  I  suppose  you'll  see  nothing  more  of  her,  your 
highness,"  remarked  Dank,  a  sly  hope  struggling  in  his 
breast. 

"  You'd  better  put  it  the  other  way.  She'll  se« 
nothing  more  of  me,"  lugubriously. 


THE  RED  LETTER  B  199 

"  I  mean  to  say,  sir,  you  can't  go  on  with  it,  can 
you?" 

"Go  on  with  what?" 

"  The  * — •  er  —  you  know,"  floundered  Dank. 

"  If  there  is  really  anything  to  go  on  with,  Dank, 
I'll  go  on  with  it,  believe  me." 

The  lieutenant  stared.  "  But  if  she  should  be  Miss 
Blithers,  what  then?" 

"  It  might  simplify  matters  tremendously,"  said 
Robin,  but  not  at  all  confidently.  "  I  think  I'll  get 
up,  Dank,  if  you  don't  mind.  Call  Hobbs,  will  you? 
And,  I  say,  won't  you  have  breakfast  up  here  with 
me?  " 

"  I  had  quite  overlooked  breakfast,  'pon  my  soul,  I 
had,"  said  Dank,  a  look  of  pain  in  his  face.  "  No 
wonder  I  have  a  headache,  going  without  my  coffee  so 
long." 

Later  on,  while  they  were  breakfasting  in  Robin's 
sitting  room,  Hobbs  brought  in  the  morning  news- 
papers. He  laid  one  of  them  before  the  Prince,  and 
jabbed  his  forefinger  upon  a  glaring  headline. 

"  I  beg  pardon,  sir ;  I  didn't  mean  to  get  it  into 
the  butter.  Very  awkward,  I'm  sure.  Hi,  garfon! 
Fresh  butter  'ere,  and  lively  about  it,  too.  Buerre! 
That's  the  word  —  buttah." 

Robin  and  Dank  were  staring  at  the  headline  as  if 
fascinated.  Having  successfully  managed  the  butter, 
Hobbs  at  once  restored  his  attention  to  the  headline, 
reading  it  aloud,  albeit  both  of  the  young  men  were 


200         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

capable  of  reading  French  at  sight.  He  translated 
with  great  profundity. 

" '  Miss  Blithers  Denies  Report.  Signed  State* 
ment  Mysteriously  Received.  American  Heiress  not 
to  wed  Prince  of  Graustark.'  Shall  I  read  the  har- 
ticle,  sir?  " 

Robin  snatched  up  the  paper  and  read  aloud  for 
himself.  Hobbs  merely  wiped  a  bit  of  butter  from  his 
finger  and  listened  attentively. 

The  following  card  appeared  at  the  head  of  the 
column,  and  was  supplemented  by  a  complete  resume 
of  the  Blithers-Graustark  muddle: 

"  Miss  Blithers  desires  to  correct  an  erroneous  re- 
port that  has  appeared  in  the  newspapers.  She  is  not 
engaged  to  be  married  to  the  Prince  of  Graustark,  nor 
is  there  even  the  remotest  probability  that  such  will 
ever  be  the  case.  Miss  Blithers  regrets  that  she 
has  not  the  honour  of  Prince  Robin's  acquaintance, 
and  the  Prince  has  specifically  stated  in  the  public 
prints  that  he  does  not  know  her  by  sight.  The 
statements  of  the  two  persons  most  vitally  affected  by 
this  disturbing  rumour  should  be  taken  as  final.  Suf- 
ficient pain  and  annoyance  already  has  been  caused 
by  the  malicious  and  utterly  groundless  report."  The 
name  of  Maud  Applegate  Blithers  was  appended  to  the 
statement,  and  it  was  dated  Paris,  August  29. 

Thereafter  followed  a  lengthy  description  of  the 
futile  search  for  the  young  lady  in  Paris,  and  an  inter- 
view with  the  local  representatives  of  Mr.  Blithers, 
all  of  whom  declared  that  the  signature  was  genuine, 


THE  RED  LETTER  B  201 

but  refused  to  commit  themselves  further  without  con- 
sulting their  employer.  They  could  throw  no  light 
upon  the  situation,  even  going  so  far  as  to  declare  that 
they  were  unaware  of  the  presence  of  Miss  Blithers  in 
Paris. 

It  appears  that  the  signed  statement  was  left  in  the 
counting-rooms  of  the  various  newspapers  by  a  heavily, 
veiled  lady  at  an  hour  agreed  upon  as  "  about  ten 
o'clock."  There  was  absolutely  no  clue  to  the  identity 
of  this  woman. 

Instead  of  following  the  suggestion  of  Miss  Blithers 
that  "  sufficient  pain  and  annoyance  already  had  been 
caused,"  the  journalists  proceeded  to  increase  the 
agony  by  venturing  the  hope  that  fresh  developments 
would  materialise  before  the  day  was  done. 

"  Well,  she  appears  to  be  here,"  said  Robin,  as  he 
laid  down  the  last  of  the  three  journals  and  stared  at 
Dank  as  if  expecting  hope  from  that  most  unreliable 
source. 

"  I  suppose  you  will  now  admit  that  I  am  right 
about  the  letter  B,"  said  Dank  sullenly. 

".When  I  see  Miss  Guile  I  shall  ask  point  blank  if 
she  is  Maud  Applegate,  Dank,  and  if  she  says  she  isn't, 
I'll  take  her  word  for  it,"  said  Robin. 

"  And  if  she  says  she  is  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  Prince,  ruefully,  "  I'll  still  take 
tier  word  for  it." 

"And  then?" 

"  Then  I  shall  be  equally  frank  and  tell  her  that  I 


202         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

am  Robin  of  Graustark.  That  will  put  us  all  square 
again,  and  we'll  see  what  comes  of  it  in  the  end." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you'll  —  you'll  continue 
as  you  were?  "  gasped  Dank. 

"  That  depends  entirely  on  Miss  Guile,  Boske." 

"  But  you  wouldn't  dare  to  marry  Maud  Applegate 
Blithers,  sir.  You  would  be  driven  out  of  Graustark 
and—" 

"  I  think  that  would  depend  a  good  deal  on  Miss 
Guile,  too,  old  chap,"  said  Robin  coolly. 

Dank  swallowed  very  hard.  "  I  want  to  be  loyal 
to  you,  your  highness,"  he  said  as  if  he  did  not  think 
it  would  be  possible  to  remain  so. 

"  I  shall  count  on  you,  Dank,"  said  Robin  earnestly. 

"  But  — "  began  the  lieutenant,  and  then  stopped 
short. 

"  Let  me  finish  it  for  you.  You  don't  feel  as  though 
you  could  be  loyal  to  Miss  Blithers,  is  that  it?" 

"  I  think  that  would  depend  on  Miss  Blithers,"  said 
Dank,  and  then  begged  to  be  excused.  He  went  out 
of  the  room  rather  hurriedly. 

"  Well,  Hobbs,"  said  Robin,  after  his  astonishment 
had  abated,  "  what  do  you  think  of  it?  " 

"  I  think  he's  in  love  with  her,  sir,"  said  Hobbs 
promptly. 

"Good  Lord!  with  — with  Miss  Guile?" 

"  Precisely  so,  sir." 

"Well,  I'll  be  darned!"  said  the  American  half 
of  Prince  Robin  with  great  fervour, 

"  Tut,  tut,  sir,"  reproved  Hobbs,  who,  as  has  been 


THE  RED  LETTER  B  203 

said  before,  was  a  privileged  character  by  virtue  of 
long  service  and  his  previous  calling  as  a  Cook's  inter- 
preter. "  Are  you  going  out,  sir?  " 

"  Yes.  I'm  going  out  to  search  the  highways  and 
by-ways  for  Bedelia,"  said  Robin,  a  gay  light  in  his 
eyes.  "  By  the  way,  did  you,  by  any  chance,  learn 
the  name  of  the  'andsome  young  gent  as  went  away 
with  'er,  'Obbs?" 

"  I  did  not,  sir.  I  stood  at  his  helbow  for  quite 
some  time  at  the  Gare  St.  Lazare  and  the  only  words 
he  spoke  that  I  could  hear  distinctly  was  *  wot  the 
devil  do  you  mean,  me  man  ?  Ain't  there  room  enough 
for  you  here  without  standing  on  my  toes  like  that? 
Move  hover.'  Only,  of  course,  sir,  he  used  the 
haspirates  after  a  fashion  of  his  own.  The  haitches 
are  mine,  sir." 

"  Is  he  an  American  ?  " 

"  It's  difficult  to  say,  sir.  He  may  be  from  Boston, 
but  you  never  can  tell,  sir." 

"  Do  you  know  Boston,  Hobbs? "  inquired  the 
Prince,  adjusting  his  tie  before  the  mirror. 

**  Not  to  speak  it,  sir,"  said  Hobbs. 

The  day  was  warm  and  clear,  and  Paris  was  gleam- 
ing. Robin  stretched  his  long  legs  in  a  brisk  walk 
across  the  Place  Vendome  and  up  the  Rue  de  la  Paix 
to  the  Boulevard.  Here  he  hesitated  and  then  re- 
traced his  steps  slowly  down  the  street  of  diamonds, 
for  he  suspected  Miss  Guile  of  being  interested  in 
things  that  were  costly.  Suddenly  inspired,  he  made 
his  way  to  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  and  settled  him- 


204 

self  on  one  of  the  seats  near  the  entrance  to  the  Champs 
Elysees.  It  was  his  shrewd  argument  that  if  she 
planned  a  ride  on  that  exquisite  morning  it  naturally 
would  be  along  the  great  avenue,  and  in  that  event  he 
might  reasonably  hope  to  catch  her  coming  or  going. 
A  man  came  up  and  took  a  seat  beside  him. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  said  the  newcomer, 
and  Robin  somewhat  gruffly  demanded  what  the  deuce 
he  meant  by  following  him.  "  I  have  some  interesting 
news,"  said  Baron  Gourou  quietly,  removing  his  hat 
to  wipe  a  damp  brow.  He  also  took  the  time  to  re- 
cover his  breath  after  some  rather  sharp  dodging  of 
automobiles  in  order  to  attain  his  present  position  of 
security.  Even  a  Minister  of  Police  has  to  step  lively 
in  Paris. 

"From  home?"  asked  Robin  carelessly. 

"  Indirectly.  It  comes  through  Berlin.  Our 
special  agent  there  wires  me  that  the  offices  of  Mr. 
Blithers  in  that  city  have  received  instructions  from 
him  to  send  engineers  to  Edelweiss  for  the  purpose 
of  estimating  the  cost  of  remodelling  and  rebuilding 
the  castle, —  in  other  words  to  restore  it  to  its  con- 
dition prior  to  the  Marlanx  rebellion  fifteen  years 
ago.'* 

There  was  a  tantalising  smile  on  the  Baron's  face 
as  he  watched  the  changing  expressions  in  that  of  his 
Prince. 

"  Are  you  in  earnest?  "  demanded  Robin,  a  bright 
red  spot  appearing  in  each  cheek.  The  Baron  nodded 
his  head.  "  WeU,  he's  got  a  lot  of  nerve! " 


THE  RED  LETTER  B  205 

"  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  what  is  likely  to  happen 
to  those  architects  when  they  begin  snooping  around 
the  castle,"  said  Gourou  drily.  "  By  the  way,  have 
you  seen  Miss  Guile  this  morning?  " 

Robin's  cheeks  were  now  completely  suffused. 
"  Certainly  not." 

"  She  was  in  the  Rue  de  la  Paix  half  an  hour  ago, 
I  thought  you  might  — " 

"  You  saw  her,  Baron  ?  " 

"  Yes,  highness,  and  it  may  interest  you  to  know 
that  she  saw  you." 

"  The  deuce  you  say !  But  how  do  you  know  that 
it  was  Miss  Guile.  You've  no  means  of  knowing." 

"  It  is  a  part  of  my  profession  to  recognise  people 
from  given  descriptions.  In  this  case,  however,  the 
identification  was  rendered  quite  simple  by  the  actions 
of  the  young  lady  herself.  She  happened  to  emerge 
from  a  shop  just  as  you  were  passing  and  I've  never 
seen  any  one,  criminal  or  otherwise,  seek  cover  as 
quickly  as  she  did.  She  darted  back  into  the  shop 
like  one  pursued  by  the  devil.  Naturally  I  hung 
around  for  a  few  minutes  to  see  the  rest  of  the  play. 
Presently  she  peered  forth,  looked  stealthily  up  and 
down  the  street,  and  then  dashed  across  the  pavement 
to  a  waiting  taxi-metre.  It  affords  me  pleasure  to 
inform  your  highness  that  I  took  the  number  of  the 
machine."  He  glanced  at  his  cuff-band. 

"  Where  did  she  go  from  the  Rue  de  la  Paix  ?  " 
asked  Robin  impatiently. 

"  To  the  Ritz.     I  was  there  almost  as  soon  as  she0 


206         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

She  handed  an  envelope  —  containing  a  letter,  I  fancy 
—  to  the  carriage  man  and  drove  away  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Place  de  1'Opera.  I  have  a  sly  notion, 
my  Prince,  that  you  will  find  a  note  awaiting  you  on 
your  return  to  the  hotel.  Ah,  you  appear  to  be  ir 
haste,  my  young  hunter." 

"  I  am  in  haste.  If  you  expect  to  keep  alongside, 
Baron,  you'll  have  to  run  I'm  afraid,"  cried  the  Prince, 
and  was  instantly  in  his  seven-league  boots. 

There  was  a  note  in  Robin's  rooms  when  he  reached 
the  hotel.  It  was  not  the  delicately  perfumed  article 
that  usually  is  despatched  by  fictional  heroines  but 
a  rather  business-like  envelope  bearing  the  well-known 
words  "  The  New  York  Herald  "  in  one  corner  and 
the  name  "  R.  Schmidt,  Hotel  Ritz,"  in  firm  but 
angular  scrawl  across  its  face.  As  Robin  ripped  it 
open  with  his  finger,  Baron  Gourou  entered  the  room, 
but  not  without  giving  vent  to  a  slight  cough  in  the 
way  of  an  announcement. 

"  You  forget,  highness,  that  I  am  a  short  man 
and  not  possessed  of  legs  that  travel  by  yards  instead 
of  feet,"  he  panted.  "  Forgive  me  for  lagging  behind. 
I  did  my  best  to  keep  up  with  you." 

Robin  stared  at  his  visitor  haughtily  for  a  moment 
and  then  broke  into  a  good-humoured  laugh. 

"  Won't  you  sit  down,  Baron  ?  I'll  be  at  liberty 
in  a  minute  or  two,"  he  said,  and  coolly  proceeded 
to  scan  the  brief  message  from  Miss  Guile. 

"  Well,"  said  Gourou,  as  the  young  man  replaced 
the  letter  in  the  envelope  and  stuck  it  into  his  pocket. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

THE    CAT    IS    AWAY 

1  ROBIN'S  face  was  glowing  with  excitement.  He  put 
his  hands  in  his  trousers  pockets  and  nervously  jingled 
the  coins  therein,  all  the  while  regarding  his  Minister 
of  Police  with  speculative  eyes.  Then  he  turned  to 
the  window  and  continued  to  stare  down  into  the 
Place  Vendome  for  several  minutes,  obviously  turning 
something  over  in  his  mind  before  coming  to  a  decision. 
The  Baron  waited.  None  knew  better  than  he  how 
to  wait.  He  realised  that  a  great  deal  hung  upon 
the  next  few  sentences  to  be  uttered  in  that  room,  and 
yet  he  could  be  patient. 

At  last  Robin  faced  him,  but  without  speaking. 
An  instant  later  he  impulsively  withdrew  the  letter 
from  his  pocket  and  held  it  out  to  the  Baron,  who* 
strode  across  the  room  and  took  it  from  his  hanvi!. 
Without  a  word,  he  extracted  the  single  sheet  of  pap€U 
and  read  what  was  written  thereon. 

"  I  gather  from  the  nature  of  the  invitation  thai 
you  are  expected  to  enjoy  stolen  fruit,  if  I  may  be  so 
bold  as  to  put  it  in  just  that  way,"  said  he  grimly. 
"  Apparently  Miss  Guile  finds  the  presence  of  Q 
duenna  unnecessarily  wise." 

"  There's  no  harm  in  a  quiet  little  excursion  sucli 

as  she  suggests,  Baron,"  said  Robin,  defensively. 

207  > 


208        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARE 

"  You  forget  that  I  have  seen  the  beautiful  Miss 
Guile,"  said  Gourou  drily.  "  I  take  it,  then,  that 
you  approve  of  the  young  lady's  scheme." 

"  Scheme  sounds  rather  sinister,  doesn't  it?  " 

"  Trick,  if  it  please  you  more  than  the  other. 
Moreover,  I  cannot  say  that  she  suggests  the  quiet 
little  excursion.  It  occurs  to  me  that  she  commands, 
your  highness."  He  held  the  missive  to  the  light  and 
read,  a  tender  irony  in  his  voice :  "  '  My  motor  will 
call  for  you  at  three  this  afternoon,  and  we  will  run 
out  to  St.  Cloud  for  tea ;  at  the  Pavilion  Bleu.  Mrs. 
Gaston  is  spending  the  day  with  relatives  at  Cham- 
pigny,  and  we  may  as  well  be  mice  under  the  circum- 
stances. If  you  have  another  engagement,  pray  do 
not  let  it  interfere  with  the  pleasure  I  am  seeking.11 
Nothing  could  be  more  exacting,  my  dear  Prince. 
She  signs  herself  '  B,  Guile,'  and  I  am  sure  she  is 
magnificently  beguiling,  if  you  will  pardon  the  play 
on  words." 

"  You  wouldn't  adopt  that  tone  of  suspicion  if  you 
knew  Miss  Guile,"  said  Robin  stiffly.  "  I  am  sure 
nothing  could  be  more  frank  and  above-board  than 
her  manner  of  treating  the  — " 

'*  And  nothing  so  cock-sure  and  confident,"  put  in 
the  Baron.  "  It  would  serve  her  right  if  you  ignored 
the  letter  altogether." 

"  If  I  were  as  old  as  you,  Baron,  I  haven't  the  least 
doubt  that  I  should  do  so,"  said  Robin  coolly.  "  And 
by  the  same  token,  if  you  were  as  young  as  I,  you'd 


THE  CAT  IS  AWAY  209 

do  precisely  the  thing  that  I  intend  to  do.  I'm  going 
to  St.  Cloud  with  her." 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  been  in  doubt  about  that  for  an 
instant,"  said  Gourou.  "  At  your  age  I  greatly 
favoured  the  clandestine.  You  will  not  pretend  to 
assume  that  this  is  not  a  clandestine  excursion." 

"  It's  a  j  oily  little  adventure,"  was  all  that  Robin 
could  say,  in  his  youthfulness. 

The  Baron  was  thoughtful.  "  There  is  something 
behind  this  extraordinary  behaviour  on  the  part  of  a 
lady  generally  accredited  with  sense  and  refinement," 
said  he  after  a  moment.  "  I  think  I  have  it,  too. 
She  is  deliberately  putting  you  to  a  rather  severe 
test." 

"  Test?     What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  She  is  trying  you  out,  sir.  Miss  Guile, —  or 
possibly  Miss  Blithers, —  is  taking  a  genuine  risk  in 
order  to  determine  whether  you  are  a  real  gentleman 
or  only  a  make-believe.  She  is  taking  a  chance  with 
you.  You  may  call  it  a  jolly  little  adventure,  but  I 
call  it  the  acid  test.  Young  women  of  good  breeding 
and  refinement  do  not  plan  such  adventures  with  casual, 
ship-board  acquaintances.  She  intends  to  find  out 
what,  not  who,  you  are.  I  must  say  she's  exceedingly 
clever  and  courageous." 

Robin  laughed.  "  Thank  you,  Baron.  Fore- 
warned is  forearmed.  I  shall  remain  a  gentleman  at 
any  cost." 

"  She  is  so  shrewd  and  resourceful  that  I  am  almost 


210         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

convinced  she  can  be  no  other  than  the  daughter  of 
the  amazing  Mr.  Blithers.  I  believe  he  achieved  most 
of  his  success  through  sheer  impudence,  though  it  is 
commonly  described  as  daring." 

"  In  any  case,  Baron,  I  shall  make  it  a  point  to 
find  out  whether  she  is  the  lady  who  defies  the  amazing 
Mr.  Blithers,  and  goes  into  print  about  it." 

"  She  has  merely  denied  that  she  is  engaged  to  the 
Prince  of  Graustark.  Pray  do  not  come  back  to  us 
with  the  news  that  she  is  engaged  to  R.  Schmidt,"  said 
Gourou  significantly. 

Robin  smiled  reflectively.  "  That  would  make  a 
jolly  adventure  of  it,  wouldn't  it?  " 

At  three  o'clock,  a  big  limousine  swung  under  the 
porte  cochere  at  the  Ritz  and  a  nimble  footman  hopped 
down  and  entered  the  hotel.  Robin  was  waiting  just 
inside  the  doors.  He  recognised  the  car  as  the  one 
that  had  taken  Miss  Guile  away  from  the  Gare  St. 
Lazare,  and  stepped  forward  instantly  to  intercept 
the  man. 

"  For  Mr.  Schmidt?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Oui,  M'sieur." 

Thrilled  by  a  pleasurable  sense  of  excitement,  the 
Prince  of  Graustark  entered  the  car.  He  was  quick 
to  observe  that  the  curtains  in  the  side  windows  were 
partially  drawn  across  the  glass.  The  fact  that  she 
elected  to  journey  to  the  country  in  a  limousine  on 
this  hot  day  did  not  strike  him  as  odd,  for  he  knew  that 
the  comfort  loving  French  people  prefer  the  closed 
vehicle  to  the  wind-inviting,  dust-gathering  touring 


THE  CAT  IS  AWAY  211 

body  of  the  Americans  and  British.  He  observed  the 
single  letter  L,  in  gold  in  the  panel  of  the  door,  and 
made  mental  note  of  the  smart  livery  of  the  two  men 
on  the  front  seat. 

A  delicate  perfume  lingered  in  the  car,  convincing 
proof  that  Miss  Guile  had  left  it  but  a  few  minutes  be- 
fore its  arrival  at  the  Ritz.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
she  was  nearer  than  he  thought,  for  the  car  whirled 
into  the  Rue  de  la  Paix  and  stopped  at  the  curb  not 
more  than  a  hundred  yards  from  the  Place  Ven- 
dome. 

Once  more  the  nimble  footman  hopped  down  and 
threw  open  the  door.  A  slender,  swift-moving  figure 
in  a  blue  linen  gown  and  a  wide  hat  from  which  sprung 
two  gorgeous  blue  plumes,  emerged  from  the  door  of  a 
diamond  merchant's  shop,  and,  before  Robin  could 
move  from  his  corner,  popped  into  the  car  and  sat 
down  beside  him  with  a  nervous  little  laugh  on  her 
lips  —  red  lips  that  showed  rose-like  and  tempting 
behind  a  thick  chiffon  veil,  obviously  donned  for  an 
excellent  reason.  The  exquisite  features  of  Miss  Guile 
were  barely  distinguishable  beneath  the  surface  of  this 
filmy  barrier.  The  door  closed  sharply  and,  almost 
before  the  Prince  had  recovered  from  his  surprise.,  the 
car  glided  off  in  the  direction  of  the  Place  de  1'Opera. 

"  Isn't  it  just  like  an  elopement?  "  cried  Miss  Guile, 
and  it  was  quite  plain  to  him  that  she  was  vastly 
pleased  with  the  sprightly  introduction  to  the  ad- 
venture. Her  voice  trembled  slightly  and  she  sat  up 
very  straight  in  the  wide,  comfortable  seat. 


212         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"Is  it  really  you?"  cried  Robin,  and  he  was  sur- 
prised to  find  that  his  own  voice  trembled. 

"  Oh,"  she  said,  with  a  sudden  diffidence,  "  how  do 
you  do  ?  What  must  you  think  of  me,  bouncing  in  like 
that  and  never  once  speaking  to  you?  " 

"  If  I  were  to  tell  you  what  I  think  of  you,  you'd 
bounce  right  out  again  without  speaking  to  me,"  said\. 
he,  smiling.  "  How  do  you  do  ?  "  He  extended  his 
hand,  but  it  was  ignored.  She  sank  back  into  the 
corner  and  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  as  if  uncertain 
what  to  say  or  do  next.  The  shadowy  redrlips  were 
smiling  and  the  big  dark  eyes  were  eloquent,  even 
through  the  screen. 

"  I  may  as  well  tell  you  at  the  outset,  Mr.  Schmidt, 
that  I've  never  —  never  —  done  a  thing  like  this  be- 
fore," she  said,  an  uneasy  note  in  her  voice. 

"  I  am  quite  sure  of  that,"  said  he,  "  and  therefore 
confess  to  a  vast  wealth  of  satisfaction." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  me?  " 

"  I  think  that  you  are  frightened  almost  out  of  your 
boots,"  said  he  boldly. 

"  No,  I'm  not,"  said  she  resolutely.  "  I  am  only 
conscious  of  feeling  extremely  foolish." 

"  I  shouldn't  feel  that  way  about  stealing  off  for  a ' 
cup  of  tea,"  said  he.     "  It's  all  quite  regular,  you 
know,  and  is  frequently  done  in  the  very  best  circles 
when  the  cat's  away." 

"  You  see,  I  couldn't  quite  scrape  up  the  courage 
to  go  directly  to  the  hotel  for  you,"  she  said.  "I 
know  several  people  who  are  stopping  there  and  I  — 


THE  CAT  IS  AWAY  213 

I — well,  you  won't  think  I'm  a  dreadful  person,  will 
you?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  declared  promptly.  Then  he  re- 
solved to  put  one  of  the  questions  he  had  made  up  his 
1  mind  to  ask  at  the  first  opportunity.  "  Do  you  mind 
telling  me  why  you  abandoned  me  so  completely,  so 
heartlessly  on  the  day  we  landed?  " 

"  Because  there  was  no  reason  why  I  should  act 
otherwise,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said,  the  tremor  gone 
from  her  voice. 

"  And  yet  you  take  me  to  St.  Cloud  for  tea,"  he  said 
pointedly. 

"  Ah,  but  no  one  is  to  know  of  this,"  she  cried 
warmly.  "  This  is  a  secret,  a  very  secret  adventure." 

He  could  not  help  staring.  "  And  that  is  just  why 
I  am  mystified.  Why  is  to-day  so  different  froir> 
yesterday  ?  " 

"  It  isn't,"  she  said.     "  Doesn't  all  this  prove  it?  ^ 

His  face  fell.  "  Don't  you  want  to  be  seen  with 
me,  Miss  Guile?  Am  I  not — " 

"  Wait !  Will  you  not  be  satisfied  with  things  as 
they  are  and  refrain  from  asking  unnecessary  ques- 
tions? " 

"  I  shall  have  to  be  satisfied,"  said  he  ruefully. 
\  "  I  am  sorry  I  said  that,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  cried^ 
contrite  at  once.  "  There  is  absolutely  no  reason  why 
I  should  not  be  seen  with  you.  But  won't  you  be 
appeased  when  I  say  that  I  wanted  to  be  with  you  alone 
to-day?" 

He  suddenly  remembered  the  Baron's  shrewd  con* 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

jecture  and  let  the  opportunity  to  say  something  banal 
go  by  without  a  word.  Perhaps  it  was  a  test,  after 
all.  He  merely  replied  that  she  was  paying  him  a 
greater  compliment  than  he  deserved. 

"  There  are  many  things  I  want  to  speak  about,  Mr. 
Schmidt,  and  —  and  you  know  how  impossible  it  is  to 
—  to  get  a  moment  to  one's  self  when  one  is  being 
watched  like  a  child,  as  I  am  being  watched  over  by 
dear  Mrs.  Gaston.  She  is  my  shield  and  armour,  my 
lovely  one-headed  dragon.  I  placed  myself  in  her 
care  and  —  well,  she  is  a  very  dependable  person. 
You  will  understand,  won't  you?  " 

"  Pray  do  not  distress  yourself,  Miss  Guile,"  he 
protested.  "  The  last  word  is  spoken.  I  am  too 
happy  to  spoil  the  day  by  doubting  its  integrity. 
Besides,  I  believe  I  know  you  better  than  you  think  I 
do." 

He  expected  her  to  reveal  some  sign  of  dismay,  but 
she  was  suddenly  on  guard. 

"  Then  you  will  not  mind  my  eccentricities,"  she  said 
calmly,  "  and  we  shall  have  a  very  nice  drive,  some 
tea  and  a  —  lark  in  place  of  the  more  delectable  birds 
prescribed  by  the  chef  at  the  Pavilion  Bleu." 

As  the  car  turned  into  the  Boulevard  des  Capucines 
Robin  suppressed  an  exclamation  of  annoyance  on  be- 
holding Baron  Gourou  and  Dank  standing  on  the  curb 
almost  within  arm's  length  of  the  car  as  it  passed. 
The  former  was  peering  rather  intently  at  the  twc 
men  on  the  front  seat,  and  evinced  little  or  no  interest 
in  the  occupants  of  the  tonneau. 


THE  CAT  IS  AWAY  215 

"  Wasn't  that  your  friend  Mr.  Dank  ?  "  inquired 
Miss  Guile  with  interest.  He  felt  that  she  was  chid- 
ing him. 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  and  then  turned  for  another  look  at 
his  compatriots.  Gourou  was  jotting  something  down 
on  his  cuff -band.  The  Prince  mentally  promised  him 
something  for  his  pains.  "  But  let  us  leave  dull  care 
behind,"  he  went  on  gaily. 

"  He  isn't  at  all  dull,"  said  she. 

"  But  he  is  a  care,"  said  he.  "  He  is  always  losing 
his  heart,  Miss  Guile." 

"  And  picking  up  some  one  else's,  I  fancy,"  said 
she. 

"  By  the  way,  who  was  the  good-looking  chap  that 
came  to  Cherbourg  to  meet  you?  " 

"  A  very  old  friend,  Mr.  Schmidt.  I've  known  him 
since  I  was  that  high."  (That  high  was  on  a  line 
with  her  knee.) 

"  Attractive  fellow,"  was  his  comment. 

"  Do  you  think  so?  "  she  inquired  innocently,  and  he 
thought  she  over-played  it  a  little.  He  was  conscious 
of  an  odd  sense  of  disappointment  in  her.  "  Have 
you  never  been  out  to  St.  Cloud?  No?  I  never  go 
there  without  feeling  a  terrible  pity  for  those  poor 
prodigals  who  stood  beside  its  funeral  pyre  and  saw 
their  folly  stripped  down  to  the  starkest  of  skeletons 
while  they  waited.  The  day  of  glory  is  short,  Mr. 
Schmidt,  and  the  night  that  follows  is  bitterly  long. 
They  say  possession  is  nine  points  of  the  law,  but 
what  do  nine  points  mean  to  the  lawless  ?  The  rich  manv 


216         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

of  to-day  may  be  the  beggar  of  to-morrow,  and  the 
rich  man's  sons  and  daughters  may  be  serving  the 
beggars  of  yesterday.  I  have  been  told  that  in  the 
lower  east  side  of  New  York  City  there  are  men  and 
women  who  were  once  princes  and  princesses,  counts 
and  countesses,  dukes  and  duchesses.  Why  doesn't 
some  one  write  a  novel  about  the  royalty  that  hides 
its  beggary  in  the  slums  of  that  great  city?  " 

"  What's  this  ?  Epigrams  and  philosophy,  Miss 
Guile  ?  "  he  exclaimed  wonderingly.  "  You  amaze  me. 
What  are  you  trying  to  convey?  That  some  day  you 
may  be  serving  yesterday's  beggar?  " 

"  Who  knows !  "  she  said  cryptically.  "  I  am  not  a 
philosopher,  and  I'm  sorry  about  the  epigrams.  I 
loathe  people  who  make  use  of  them.  They  are  a 
cheap  substitution  for  wisdom.  Do  you  take  sugar 
in  your  tea?  "  It  was  her  way  of  abandoning  the 
topic,  but  he  looked  his  perplexity.  "  I  thought  I'd 
ask  now,  just  for  the  sake  of  testing  my  memory  later 
on."  She  was  laughing. 

"  Two  lumps  and  cream,"  he  said.  "  Won't  you  be 
good  enough  to  take  off  that  veil?  It  seriously  ob- 
structs the  view." 

She  complacently  shook  her  head.  "  It  doesn't  ob- 
struct mine,"  she  said.  "  Have  you  been  reading  what 
the  papers  are  saying  about  your  friend  Mr.  Blithers 
and  his  obstreperous  Maud?  " 

Robin  caught  his  breath.  In  a  flash  he  suspected 
an  excellent  reason  for  keeping  the  veil  in  place.  It 
gave  her  a  distinct  advantage  over  him. 


"  Yes.  I  see  that  she  positively  denies  the  whole 
business." 

"  Likewise  the  prospective  spouse,"  she  added. 
"  Isn't  it  sickening?  " 

"  I  wonder  what  Mr.  Blithers  is  saying  to-day,"  said 
he  audaciously.     "  Poor  old  cock,  he  must  be  as  sore , 
as  a  crab.     By  the  way,  it  is  reported  that  she  crossed 
on  the  steamer  with  us." 

"  I  am  quite  certain  that  she  did,  Mr.  Schmidt," 
said  she. 

"  You  really  think  so  ?  "  he  cried,  regarding  he* 
keenly. 

"  The  man  who  came  to  meet  me  knows  her  quite 
well.  He  is  confident  that  he  saw  her  at  Cherbourg." 

"  I  see,"  said  he,  and  was  thoroughly  convinced. 
"  I  may  as  well  confess  to  you,  Miss  Guile,  that  I  also 
know  her  when  I  see  her." 

"  But  you  told  me  positively  that  you  had  never  seen 
her,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said  quickly. 

"  I  had  not  seen  her  up  to  the  second  day  out  on 
the  Jupiter"  he  explained,  enjoying  himself  im- 
mensely. 

"  It  was  after  that  that  you  — " 

"  I  know,"  he  said,  as  she  hesitated ;  "  but  you  see 
I  didn't  know  she  was  Miss  Blithers  until  sometime 
after  I  had  met  you."  There  was  a  challenge  in  his 
manner  amounting  almost  to  a  declaration. 

She  leaned  forward  to  regard  him  more  intently. 

"  Is  it  possible,  Mr.  Schmidt,  that  you  suspect  me 
of  being  that  horrid,  vulgar  creature?  " 


218         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

Robin  was  not  to  be  trapped.  There  was  something 
in  the  shadowy  eyes  that  warned  him. 

"  At  least,  I  may  say  that  I  do  not  suspect  you  of  be- 
ing a  horrid,  vulgar  creature,"  he  said  evasively. 

"  What  else  can  this  Miss  Blithers  be  if  not  that?  " 

"  Would  you  say  that  she  is  vulgar  because  she  re- 
fuses to  acknowledge  a  condition  that  doesn't  exist? 
I  think  she  did  perfectly  right  in  denying  the  engage- 
ment." 

"  You  haven't  answered  my  question,  Mr.  Schmidt." 

"  Well,"  he  began  slowly,  "  I  don't  suspect  you  of 
being  Miss  Blithers." 

"  But  you  did  suspect  it." 

"  I  was  pleasantly  engaged  in  speculation^  that's 
aH.  It  is  generally  believed  that  Miss  Blithers  sailed 
under  an  assumed  name  —  literally,  not  figuratively." 

"  Is  there  any  reason  why  you  should  imagine  that 
my  name  is  not  Guile?  " 

"  Yes.  Your  luggage  is  resplendently  marked  with 
the  second  letter  in  the  alphabet  —  a  gory,  crimson 
B." 

"  I  see,"  she  said  reflectively.  "  You  examined  my 
luggage,  as  they  say  in  the  customs  office.  And  you 
couldn't  put  B  and  G  together,  is  that  it  ?  " 

"  Obviously." 

"  If  you  had  taken  the  trouble  to  look,  you  would 
have  found  an  equally  resplendent  G  on  the  opposite 
end  of  each  and  every  trunk,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said 
quietly. 

"  I  did  not  examine  your  luggage,  Miss  Guile,** 


THE  CAT  IS  AWAY 

said  he  stiffly.  She  hadn't  left  much  for  him  to  stand 
upon.  "  Rather  unique  way  to  put  one's  initials  on  a 
trunk,  isn't  it?  " 

"  It  possesses  the  virtue  of  originality,"  she  ad- 
mitted, "  and  it  never  fails  to  excite  curiosity.  I  am 
sorry  you  were  misled.  Nothing  could  be  more  dis- 
tressing than  to  be  mistaken  for  the  heroine  of  a  story 
and  then  turn  out  to  be  a  mere  nobody  in  the  end. 
I've  no  doubt  that  if  the  amiable  Miss  Blithers  were 
to  hear  of  it,  she'd  rush  into  print  and  belabour  me 
with  the  largest  type  that  money  could  buy." 

"  Oh,  come  now,  Miss  Guile,"  he  protested,  "  it  really 
isn't  fair  to  Miss  Blithers.  She  was  justified  in  fol- 
lowing an  illustrious  example.  You  forget  that  the 
Prince  of  Graustark  was  the  first  to  rush  into  print 
with  a  flat  denial.  What  else  could  the  poor  girl  do?  '*" 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  defending  the  Prince  of  Graustark. 
He  behaved  abominably,  rushing  into  print  as  you  say. 
Extremely  bad  taste,  I  should  call  it." 

Robin's  ears  burned.  He  could  not  defend  himself. 
There  was  nothing  left  for  him  to  do  but  to  say  that 
it  "  served  him  jolly  well  right,  the  way  Miss  Blithers 
came  back  at  him." 

"  Still,"  she  said,  "  I  would  be  willing  to  make  a 
small  wager  that  the  well-advertised  match  comes  off 
in  spite  of  all  the  denials.  Given  a  determined  father, 
an  ambitious  mother,  a  purse-filled  daughter  and  an 
empty-pursed  nobleman,  and  I  don't  see  how  the  in- 
evitable can  be  avoided." 

His  face  was  flaming.     It  was  with  difficulty  that  he- 


220         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

restrained  the  impulse  to  put  her  right  in  the  matter 
without  further  ado. 

"  Are  you  sure  that  the  Prince  is  so  empty  of  purse 
as  all  that?  "  he  managed  to  say,  without  betraying 
himself  irretrievably. 

j      "  There  doesn't  seem  to  be  any  doubt  that  he  bor- 
;  rowed  extensively  of  Mr.  Blithers,"  she  said  scorn- 
fully.    "  He  is  under  some  obligations  to  his  would- 
be-father-in-law,  I  submit,  now  isn't  he?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,  Miss  Guile,"  he  admitted  uncom- 
fortably. 

"  And  therefore  owes  him  something  more  than  a 
card  in  the  newspapers,  don't  you  think  ?  " 

"  Really,  Miss  Guile,  I  —  I  — " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon.  The  Prince's  affairs  are  of 
no  importance  to  you,  so  why  should  I  expect  you 
to  stand  up  for  him?  " 

"  I  confess  that  I  am  a  great  deal  more  interested 
in  Miss  Blithers  than  I  am  in  the  Prince.  By  the 
way,  what  would  you  have  done  had  you  been  placed 
in  her  position  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  should  have  acted  quite  as  independently 
as  she." 

/      "  If  your  father  were  to  pick  out  a  husband  for 
i  you,  whether  or  no,  you  would  refuse  to  obey  the 
paternal  command?  " 

"  Most  assuredly.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Mr. 
Schmidt,  my  father  has  expressed  a  wish  that  I  should 
marry  a  man  who  doesn't  appeal  to  me  at  all." 

"  And  you  refuse?  " 


THE  CAT  IS  AWAY  221 

"  Absolutely." 

"  More  or  less  as  Miss  Blithers  has  done,"  he  said 
pointedly. 

"  Miss  Blithers,  I  understand,  has  the  advantage  of 
me  in  one  respect.  I  am  told  that  she  wants  to  marry 
another  man  and  is  very  much  in  love  with  him." 

"  A  chap  named  Scoville,"  said  Robin,  unguardedly. 

"  You  know  him,  Mr.  Schmidt?  " 

"  No.  I've  merely  heard  of  him.  I  take  it  from 
your  remark  that  you  don't  want  to  marry  anybody  — 
at  present." 

"  Quite  right.  Not  at  present.  Now  let  us  talk 
of  something  else.  A  bas  Blithers !  Down  with  the 
plutocrats !  Stamp  out  the  vulgarians !  Is  there 
anything  else  you  can  suggest?  "  she  cried  gaily. 

"  Long  live  the  Princess  Maud !  "  said  he,  and  doffed 
his  hat.  The  satirical  note  in  his  voice  was  not  lost 
on  her.  She  started  perceptibly,  and  caught  her 
breath.  Then  she  sank  back  into  the  corner  with  a 
nervous,  strained  little  laugh. 

"  You  think  she  will  marry  him  ?  " 

"  I  think  as  you  do  about  it,  Miss  Guile,"  said  he, 
and  she  was  silenced. 


CHAPTER     XV 

THE    MICE    IN    A    TRAP 

THEY  had  a  table  in  a  cool,  shady  corner  of  the  broad 
porch  overlooking  the  Place  d'Armes  and  the  Seine 
and  its  vociferous  ferries.  To  the  right  runs  the 
gleaming  roadway  that  leads  to  the  hills  and  glades 
through  which  pomp  and  pride  once  strode  with  such 
fatal  arrogance.  Blue  coated  servitors  attended  them 
on  their  arrival,  and  watched  over  them  during  their 
stay.  It  was  as  if  Miss  Guile  were  the  fairy  princess 
who  had  but  to  wish  and  her  slightest  desire  was  grat- 
ified. Her  guest,  a  real  prince,  marvelled  not  a  little 
jat  the  complete  sway  she  exercised  over  this  some- 
what autocratic  army  of  menials.  They  bowed  and 
scraped,  and  fetched,  and  carried,  and  were  not  Swiss 
but  slaves  in  Bagdad  during  the  reign  of  its  most  il- 
lustrious Caliph,  Al-haroun  Raschid  the  great.  The 
magic  of  Araby  could  have  been  no  more  potent  than 
the  spell  this  beautiful  girl  cast  over  the  house  of 
Mammon.  She  laid  her  finger  upon  a  purse  of  gold 
and  wished,  and  lo!  the  wonders  of  the  magic  carpet 
were  repeated. 

Robin  remembered  that  Maud  Applegate  Blithers 
had  spent  the  greater  part  of  her  life  in  Paris,  and 
it  was  therefore  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  she 

had  spent  something  else  as  well.     At  any  rate,  the 

222 


THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP  223 

Pavilion  Bleu  was  a  place  where  it  had  to  be  spent  if 
one  wanted  the  attention  accorded  the  few. 

She  had  removed  her  veil,  but  he  was  not  slow  to 
perceive  that  she  sat  with  her  back  to  the  long  stretch 
of  porch. 

"  Do  you  prefer  this  place  to  Armenonville  or  the 
Paillard  at  Pre  Catelan,  Miss  Guile  ?  "  he  inquired, 
quite  casually,  but  with  a  secret  purpose. 

"  No,  it  is  stupid  here,  as  a  rule,  and  common. 
Still  every  one  goes  to  the  other  places  in  the  after- 
noon and  I  particularly  wanted  to  be  as  naughty  as 
possible,  so  I  came  here  to-day." 

"  It  doesn't  strike  me  as  especially  naughty,"  ht  re- 
marked. 

"  But  it  was  very,  very  naughty  before  you  and  I 
were  born,  Mr.  Schmidt.  The  atmosphere  still  re- 
mains, if  one  possesses  a  comprehensive  imagination." 

"  I  daresay,"  said  he,  "  but  the  imagination  doesn't 
thrive  on  tea.  Those  were  the  days  of  burgundy  and 
a  lot  of  other  red  things." 

"  One  doesn't  need  to  be  in  shackles  to  expatiate 
on  the  terrors  of  the  Bridge  of  Sighs,"  she  said. 

"  Are  you  going  to  take  me  up  to  the  park  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Into  the  Shadows." 

"  Oh,  that's  good !  I'm  sure  my  imagination  will 
work  beautifully  when  it  isn't  subdued  by  all  these 
blue  devils.  I  —  Que  voulez  vous?  "  The  question 
was  directed  rather  sharply  to  a  particularly  deferen- 
tial "  blue  devil "  who  stood  at  his  elbow. 

"  Monsieur  Schmidt  ?  " 


224        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"Yes.  What's  this?  A  letter!  Ton  my  soul, 
how  the  deuce  could  any  one  — "  He  got  no  farther, 
for  Miss  Guile's  action  in  pulling  down  her  veil  and 
the  subsequent  spasmodic  glance  over  her  shoulder  be- 
trayed such  an  agitated  state  of  mind  on  her  part 
that  his  own  sensations  were  checked  at  the  outset. 

"  There  must  be  some  one  here  who  knows  you,  Mr. 
Schmidt,"  she  said  nervously.  "  See  what  it  says, 
please, —  at  once.  I  —  perhaps  we  should  be  start- 
ing home  immediately." 

Robin  tore  open  the  envelope.  A  glance  showed 
him  that  the  brief  note  was  from  Gourou.  A  charac- 
teristic G  served  as  a  signature.  As  he  read,  a  hard 
line  appeared  between  his  eyes  and  his  expression  grew 
serious. 

"  It  is  really  nothing,  Miss  Guile,"  he  said  and  pre- 
pared to  tear  the  sheet  into  many  pieces.  "  A  stupid, 
alleged  joke  of  a  fellow  who  happens  to  know  me,  that's 
lall." 

"  Don't  tear  it  up ! "  she  cried  sharply.  "  What 
does  it  say?  I  have  a  right  to  know,  Mr.  Schmidt, 
even  though  it  is  only  a  joke.  What  has  this  friend 
of  yours  to  say  about  me?  What  coarse,  uncalled- 
for  comment  has  he  to  make  about  — " 

"  Let  me  think  for  a  moment,  Miss  Guile,"  he  in- 
terrupted, suddenly  realising  that  it  was  time  for  re- 
flection. After  a  moment  he  said  soberly :  "  I  think 
it  would  be  wise  if  we  were  to  leave  instantly.  There 
is  nothing  to  be  alarmed  about,  I  assure  you,  but  — 
well,  we'd  better  go." 


THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP  225 

"  Will  you  allow  me  to  see  that  letter?  "  she  asked, 
extending  her  hand. 

"  I'd  rather  not,  if  you  don't  mind." 

"  But  I  insist,  sir !  I'll  not  go  a  step  from  this 
place  until  I  know  what  all  this  is  about." 

"  As  it  happens  to  concern  you  even  more  than  it 
does  me,  I  suppose  you'd  better  see  what  it  says." 
He  passed  the  letter  over  to  her  and  watched  her  nar- 
rowly as  she  read.  Again  the  veil  served  as  a  com- 
petent mask. 

"  Who  wrote  this  letter,  Mr.  Schmidt? "  she  de- 
manded. Even  through  the  veil  he  could  see  that 
her  eyes  were  wide  with  —  Was  it  alarm  or  anger  ? 

"  A  man  named  Gourou.  He  is  a  detective  engaged 
on  a  piece  of  work  for  Mr.  Totten." 

"  Is  it  a  part  of  his  duty  to  watch  your  move- 
ments ?  "  she  asked,  leaning  forward. 

"  No.  He  is  my  friend,  however,"  said  Robin 
steadily.  "  According  to  this  epistle,  it  would  ap- 
pear that  it  is  a  piart  of  his  duty  to  keep  track  of  you, 
not  me.  May  I  ask  why  you  should  be  shadowed  by 
two  of  his  kind  ?  " 

She  did  not  answer  at  once.  When  she  spoke,  it 
was  with  a  determined  effort  to  maintain  her  com- 
posure. 

"  I  an>  sorry  to  have  subjected  you  to  all  this,  Mr. 
Schmidt.  We  will  depart  at  once.  I  find  that  the  cat 
is  never  away,  so  we  can't  be  mice.  What  a  fool  I've 
been."  There  was  something  suspiciously  suggestive 
of  te»n»  in  her  soft  voice. 


He  laid  a  hand  upon  the  small  fingers  that  clutched 
the  crumpled  sheet  of  paper.  To  have  saved  his  life, 
he  could  not  keep  the  choked,  husky  tremor  out  of 
his  voice. 

"  The  day  is  spoiled  for  you.  That  is  my  only 
regret.  As  for  me,  Miss  Guile,  I  am  not  without  sin* 
so  I  may  cast  no  stones.  Pray  regard  me  as  a  fel- 
low culprit,  and  rest  assured  that  I  have  no  bone  to 
pick  with  you.  I  too  am  watched  and  yet  I  am  no 
more  of  a  criminal  than  you.  Will  you  allow  me  to 
say  that  I  am  a  friend  whose  devotion  cannot  be  shaken 
by  all  the  tempests  in  the  world?  " 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  and  turned  her  hand  under 
his  to  give  it  a  quick,  convulsive  clasp.  Her  spirits 
seemed  to  revive  under  the  responsive  grip.  "  You 
might  have  said  all  the  tempests  in  a  tea  pot,  for  that 
is  really  what  it  amounts  to.  My  father  is  a  very 
foolish  man.  Will  you  send  for  the  car?  " 

He  called  an  attendant  and  ordered  him  to  find 
Miss  Guile's  footman  at  once.  When  he  returned  to 
the  table,  she  was  reading  the  note  once  more. 

"  It  is  really  quite  thrilling,  isn't  it?  "  she  said,  and 
there  was  still  a  quaver  of  indignation  in  her  voice. 
"  Are  you  not  mystified  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  said  he  promptly,  and  drew  a 
chair  up  close  beside  hers.  "  It's  as  plain  as  day. 
Your  father  has  found  you  out,  that's  all.  Let's  read 
it  again,"  and  they  read  it  together. 

"  A  word  to  the  wise,"  it  began.     *'  Two  men  from 


227 

a  private  detective  concern  have  been  employed  since 
yesterday  in  watching  the  movements  of  your  com- 
panion, for  the  purpose  of  safe-guarding  her  against 
good-looking  young  men,  I  suspect.  I  have  it  from 
the  most  reliable  of  sources  that  her  father  en- 
gaged the  services  of  these  men  almost  simultaneously 
with  the  date  of  our  sailing  from  New  York.  It  may 
interest  you  to  know  that  they  followed  you  to  St. 
Cloud  in  a  high-power  car  and  no  doubt  are  watching 
you  as  you  read  this  message  from  your  faithful 
friend,  who  likewise  is  not  far  away." 

"  I  should  have  anticipated  this,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she 
said  ruefully.  "  It  is  just  the  sort  of  thing  my  father 
would  do." 

"  You  seem  to  take  it  calmly  enough." 

"  I  am  quite  used  to  it.  I  would  be  worth  a  great 
deal  to  any  enterprising  person  who  made  it  his  busi- 
ness to  steal  me.  There  is  no  limit  to  the  ransom  he 
could  demand." 

"  You  alarm  me,"  he  declared.  "  No  doubt  these 
worthy  guardians  look  upon  me  as  a  kidnapper.  I 
am  inclined  to  shiver." 

"  'All's  well  that  ends  well,' "  quoth  she,  pulling  on 
her  gloves.  "  I  shall  restore  you  safely  to  the  bosom 
of  the  Ritz  and  that  will  be  the  end  of  it." 

"  I  almost  wish  that  some  one  would  kidnap  you, 
Miss  Guile.  It  would  afford  me  the  greatest  pleas- 
ure in  the  world  to  snatch  you  from  their  clutches. 
Your  father  would  be  saved  paying  the  ransom  but  I 


228         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

should  have  to  be  adequately  rewarded.  I  fancy* 
however,  that  he  wouldn't  mind  paying  the  reward  I 
should  hold  out  for." 

"  I  am  quite  sure  he  would  give  you  anything  you 
were  to  ask  for,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  said  she  gaily.  "  You 
would  be  reasonable,  of  course." 

"  I  might  ask  for  the  most  precious  of  his  posses- 
sions," said  he,  leaning  forward  to  look  directly  into 
eyes  that  wavered  and  refused  to  meet  his. 

"  Curiosity  almost  makes  me  wish  that  I  might  be 
kidnapped.  I  should  then  find  out  what  you  consider 
to  be  his  most  precious  possession,"  she  said,  and  her 
voice  was  perilously  low. 

"  I  think  I  could  tell  you  in  advance,"  said  he,  his 
eyes  shining. 

"I  —  I  prefer  to  find  out  in  my  own  way,  Mr. 
Schmidt,"  she  stammered  hurriedly.  Her  confusion 
was  immensely  gratifying  to  him.  There  is  no  tell- 
ing what  might  have  happened  to  the  Prince  of  Graus- 
tark  at  that  moment  if  an  obsequious  attendant  had 
not  intervened  with  the  earthly  information  that  the 
car  was  waiting. 

"  Good  Lord,"  Robin  was  saying  to  himself  as  he 
followed  her  to  the  steps,  "  was  I  about  to  go  directly 
against  the  sage  advice  of  old  Gourou?  Was  I  so 
near  to  it  as  that?  In  another  minute  —  Gee,  but 
it  was  a  close  shave.  She  is  adorable,  she  is  the 
most  adorable  creature  in  the  world,  even  though  she 
is  the  daughter  of  old  man  Blithers,  and  I — 'gad  I 
wonder  what  will  come  of  it  in  the  end?  Keep  a  tight 


THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP  229 

grip  on  yourself,  Bobby,  or  you're  a  goner,  sure  as 
fate." 

They  were  painfully  aware  of  the  fact  that  their 
progress  down  the  long  verandah  was  made  under  tbfi 
surveillance  of  two,  perhaps  three  pairs  of  unwavering 
eyes,  and  because  of  it  they  looked  neither  to  right 
nor  left  but  as  those  who  walk  tight-ropes  over  dan- 
gerous places.  There  was  something  positively  un- 
canny in  the  feeling  that  their  every  movement  was 
being  watched  by  secret  observers.  Once  inside  the 
car,  Miss  Guile  sank  back  with  a  long  sigh  of  relief. 

"  Did  you  feel  it,  too  ?  "  she  asked,  with  a  nervous 
little  catch  in  her  voice. 

"  I  did,"  said  he,  passing  his  hand  over  his  brow. 
"  It  was  like  being  alone  in  the  dark  with  eyes  star- 
ing at  one  from  all  sides  of  the  room." 

The  car  shot  across  the  bridge  and  was  speeding 
on  its  way  towiard  the  Bois  when  Robin  ventured  a 
glance  behind.  Through  the  little  window  in  the 
back  of  the  car  he  saw  a  big,  swift-moving  automobile 
not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  their  rear. 

"  Would  you  like  to  verify  the  report  of  my  friend 
Gourou?  "  he  asked,  his  voice  quick  with  exhilaration. 
She  knelt  with  one  knee  upon  the  seat  and  peered  back 
along  the  road. 

"  There  they  are ! "  she  cried.  She  threw  the  veil 
back  over  her  hat  as  she  resumed  her  seat  in  the  cor- 
ner. Her  eyes  were  fairly  dancing  with  excitement. 
The  warm  red  lips  were  parted  and  she  was  breathing 
<jaickly.  Suddenly  she  laid  her  hand  over  her  heart 


S30        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

as  if  to  check  its  lively  thumping.  "  Isn't  it  splen- 
did? We  are  being  pursued  —  actually  chased  by 
the  man-hunters  of  Paris!  Oh,  I  was  never  so  happy 
in  my  life.  Isn't  it  great?  " 

"  It  is  glorious  !  "  he  cried  exultantly.  "  Shall  I 
tell  the  chauffeur  to  hit  it  up  a  bit?  Let's  make  it 
a  real  chase." 

"  Yes,  do !  We'll  see  if  we  can  foil  them,  as  they 
say  in  the  books.  Oh,  wouldn't  it  be  wonderful  if 
we  were  to  —  to  —  what  do  you  call  it?  Give  them 
the  slip,  isn't  that  it?  " 

"  I'm  game,"  said  he,  with  enthusiasm.  For  a  sec- 
ond or  two  they  looked  straight  into  each  other's  eyes 
and  a  message  was  exchanged  that  never  could  have 
been  put  into  words.  No  doubt  it  was  the  flush  of 
eager  excitement  that  darkened  their  cheeks.  In  any 
case,  it  came  swiftly  and  went  as  quickly,  leaving  them 
paler  than  before  and  vastly  self-conscious.  And  after 
that  brief,  searching  look  they  knew  that  they  could 
never  be  as  they  were  before  the  exchange.  They 
were  no  longer  strangers  to  each  other,  but  shy  com- 
rades and  filled  with  a  delicious  sense  of  wonder. 

Robin  gave  hurried  directions  through  the  speak- 
ing tube  to  the  attentive  footman,  and  so  explicit  were 
these  directions  that  the  greatest  excitement  prevailed 
'  upon  the  decorous  front  seat  of  the  car  —  first  the  foot- 
man looked  back  along  the  road,  then  the  chauffeur, 
after  which  a  thrill  of  excitement  seemed  to  fairly 
race  up  and  down  their  liveried  backs.  The  oar  it- 
self took  a  notion  to  quiver  with  the  promise  of  joy 


THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP  231 

unrestrained.  In  less  than  a  minute  they  were  going 
more  than  a  mile  a  minute  over  a  short  stretch  of  the 
Avenue  de  Longchamp.  At  the  Porte  de  Hippodrome 
they  slowed  down  and  ran  into  the  Bois,  taking  the 
first  road  to  the  left.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were 
scudding  past  Longchamp  at  a  "  fair  clip  "  to  quote 
R.  Schmidt.  Instead  of  diverging  into  the  Allee  de 
Longchamp,  the  car  took  a  sharp  turn  into  the  Avenue 
de  1'Hippodrome  and,  at  the  intersection,  doubled 
back  over  the  Allee  de  la  Reine  Marguerite,  going  al- 
most to  the  Boulogne  gate,  where  again  it  was  sent 
Parisward  over  the  Avenue  de  St.  Cloud. 

Miss  Guile  was  in  command  of  the  flight.  She 
called  out  the  instructions  to  the  driver  and  her  knowl- 
edge of  the  intricate  routes  through  the  park  stood 
them  well  in  hand.  Purposely  she  evaded  the  Cas- 
cades, circling  the  little  pools  by  narrow,  unfrequented 
roads,  coming  out  at  last  to  the  Porte  de  la  Muettc, 
where  they  left  the  park  and  took  to  the  Avenue  Henri 
Martin.  It  was  her  design  to  avoid  the  customary 
routes  to  the  heart  of  the  city,  and  all  would  have  gone 
well  with  them  had  not  fate  in  the  shape  of  two  burly, 
sergents  de  vide  intervened  at  a  time  when  success 
seemed  most  certain.  It  was  quite  clear  to  the  pur- 
sued that  the  car  containing  their  followers  had  been 
successfully  eluded  and  was  no  doubt  in  the  Champs 
Elysees  by  this  time.  For  some  time  there  had  been 
a  worried  look  in  the  Prince's  eyes.  Once  he  under- 
took to  remonstrate  with  his  fair  companion. 

"  My  dear  Miss  Guile,  we'll  land  in  jail  if  we  keep 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

up  this  hair-raising  speed.  There  wouldn't  be  any 
fun  in  that,  you  know." 

She  gave  him  a  scornful  look.  "  Are  you  afraid, 
Mr.  Schmidt?" 

"  Not  on  my  own  account,"  said  he,  "  but  yours. 
I've  heard  that  the  new  regulations  are  extremely 
rigid." 

"  Pooh !  I'm  not  afraid  of  the  police.  They  — • 
why,  what's  the  matter?  Oh,  goodness!" 

The  car  had  come  to  a  somewhat  abrupt  stop. 
Two  policemen,  dismounted  from  their  bicycles,  formed 
an  insurmountable  obstruction.  They  were  almost 
in  the  shade  of  the  Trocadero. 

"  Do  not  be  alarmed,"  whispered  Robin  to  the  fast 
paling  girl,  into  whose  eyes  the  most  abject  misery 
had  leaped  at  the  sight  of  the  two  officers.  "  Leave 
it  to  me.  I  can  fix  them  all  right.  There's  nothing 
to  be  worried  about  —  well,  sergent,  what  is  it?" 

The  polite  officers  came  up  to  the  window  with  their 
little  note-books. 

"  I  regret,  m'sieur,  that  we  shall  be  obliged  to  con- 
duct yourself  and  mademoiselle  to  the  office  of  a 
magistrate.  Under  the  new  regulations  set  forth  in 
the  order  of  last  May,  motorists  may  be  given  a  hear- 
ing at  once.  I  regret  to  add  that  m'sieur  has  been 
exceeding  the  speed  limit.  A  complaint  came  in  but 
a  few  minutes  ago  from  the  Porte  de  la  Muette  and 
we  have  been  ordered  to  intercept  the  car.  You  may 
follow  us  to  the  office  of  the  magistrate,  m'sieur.  It 
will  soon  be  over,  mademoiselle." 


THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP  233 

**  But  we  can  explain  — "  she  began  nervously. 

The  sergent  held  up  his  hand.  "  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  explain,  mademoiselle.  Too  many  motorists 
have  explained  in  the  past  but  that  does  not  restore 
to  life  the  people  they  have  killed  in  the  pursuit  of 
pleasure.  Paris  is  enforcing  her  laws." 

"  But,  sergent,  I  alone  am  to  blame  for  any  viola- 
tion of  the  law,"  said  Robin  suavely.  *'  Surely  it 
is  only  necessary  that  I  should  accompany  you  to 
the  magistrate.  The  young  lady  is  in  no  way  re- 
sponsible — " 

"  Alas,  m'sieur,"  said  the  man  firmly  but  as  if  he 
were  quite  broken-hearted,  "  it  is  not  for  me  to  dis- 
obey the  law,  even  though  you  may  do  so.  It  is 
necessary  for  the  lady  to  appear  before  the  Judge, 
and  it  is  our  duty  to  convey  her  there.  The  new  law 
explicitly  says  that  all  occupants  of  said  car  shall 
be  subject  to  penalty  under  the  law  without  reprieve 
or  pardon ! " 

"  Where  are  your  witnesses  ?  "  demanded  Robin. 

The  two  men  produced  their  watches  and  their  note- 
books, tapping  them  significantly.  / 

"  M'sieur  will  not  think  of  denying  that  he  has 
been  running  more  rapidly  than  the  law  allows,"  said 
the  second  officer.  "  It  will  go  harder  with  him  if  he 
should  do  so." 

"  I  shall  insist  upon  having  an  advocate  to  repre- 
sent me  before  — " 

"  As  you  like,  m'sieur,"  said  the  first  officer  curtly. 
'*  Proceed ! "  he  uttered  as  a  command  to  the  chauf- 


$34         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

feur,  and  forthwith  mounted  his  wheel.  A  score  of 
people  had  gathered  round  them  by  this  time,  and 
Miss  Guile  was  crouching  back  in  her  corner.  Her 
veil  was  down.  In  single  file,  so  to  speak,  they  started 
off  for  the  office  of  the  nearest  magistrate  appointed 
under  the  new  law  governing  automobiles.  A  police^ 
man  pedaled  ahead  of  the  car  and  another  followed. 

"Isn't  it  dreadful?"  whispered  Miss  Guile. 
**  What  do  you  think  they  will  do  to  us  ?  Oh,  I  am 
so  sorry,  Mr.  Schmidt,  to  have  dragged  you  into  this 
horrid—" 

"  I  wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  anything  in  the 
world,"  said  he  so  earnestly  that  she  sat  up  a  little 
straighter  and  caught  her  breath.  "  After  all,  they 
will  do  no  more  than  assess  a  fine  against  us.  A  hun- 
idred  francs,  perhaps.  That  is  nothing." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  she  gloomily. 
"  My  friends  were  saying  only  yesterday  that  the 
new  law  provides  for  imprisonment  as  well.  Paris 
has  constructed  special  prisons  for  motorists,  and 
people  'are  compelled  to  remain  in  them  for  days  and 
weeks  at  a  time.  Oh,  I  hope  — " 

"  I'll  inquire  of  the  footman,"  said  Robin.  "  He 
will  know."  The  footman,  whose  face  was  very  long 
and  serious,  replied  through  the  tube  that  very  few 
violators  escaped  confinement  in  the  "  little  prisons." 
He  also  said  "  Mon  dieu "  a  half  dozen  times,  and 
there  was  a  movement  of  the  driver's  pallid  lips  that 
seemed  to  indicate  a  fervent  echo. 

"  I  shall  telephone  at  once  —  to  my  friends,"  said 


THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP  235 

Miss  Guile,  a  note  of  anger  in  her  voice.  "  They  are 
very  powerful  in  Paris.  We  shall  put  those  miserable 
wretches  in  their  proper  places.  They  — " 

"  We  must  not  forget,  Miss  Guile,  that  we  were 
breaking  the  law,"  s»aid  Robin,  who  was  beginning  to 
enjoy  the  discomfiture  of  this  spoiled  beauty,  this 
girl  whose  word  was  a  sort  of  law  unto  itself. 

"  It  is  perfect  nonsense,"  she  declared.  "  We  did 
no  harm.  Goodness !  What  is  this  ?  " 

Four  or  five  policemen  on  wheels  passed  by  the 
car,  each  with  a  forbidding  glance  through  the  win- 
dows, 

"  They  are  the  boys  we  left  behind  us,"  paraphrased 
Robin  soberly.  "  The  park  policemen.  They've  just 
caught  us  up,  and,  believe  me,  they  look  serious,  too. 
I  dare  say  we  are  in  for  it." 

In  a  very  few  minutes  the  procession  arrived  at  a 
low,  formidable  looking  building  on  a  narrow  side 
street.  The  cavalcade  of  policemen  dismounted  and 
stood  at  attention  while  Mademoiselle  and  Monsieur 
got  down  from  the  car  and  followed  a  polite  person 
in  uniform  through  the  doors.  Whereupon  the  group^ 
of  sergents  de  ville  trooped  in  behind,  bringing  with 
them  the  neatly  liveried  servants  with  the  golden  letter 
L  on  their  cuffs. 

"  I  believe  there  is  a  jail  back  there,"  whispered 
the  slim  culprit,  a  quaver  in  her  voice.  She  pointed 
down  the  long,  narrow  corridor  at  the  end  of  whicfi 
loomed  a  rather  sinister  looking  door  with  thick  bolt- 
heads  studding  its  surface. 


236        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

An   instant  later  they  were   ushered  into   a   fair* 

sized  room  on  the  left  of  the  hall,  where  they  were 

commanded  to  sit  down.     A  lot  of  chairs  stood  about 

the  room,  filling  it  to  the  farthest  corners,  while  at 

,  the  extreme  end  was  the  Judge's  bench. 

"  I  insist  on  being  permitted  to  telephone  to  friends 
—  to  my  legal  advisors, — "  began  Miss  Guile,  with 
praiseworthy  firmness,  only  to  be  silenced  by  the  at- 
tendant, who  whispered  shrilly  that  a  trial  was  in 
progress,  couldn't  she  see? 

Two  dejected  young  men  were  standing  before  the 
Judge,  flanked  by  three  sergents  de  viHe.  Robin  and 
Miss  Guile  stared  wide-eyed  at  their  fellow  criminals 
»and  tried  to  catch  the  low  words  spoken  by  the  fat 
Magistrate.  Once  more  they  were  ordered  to  sit 
down,  this  time  not  quite  so  politely,  and  they  took 
seats  in  the  darkest  corner  of  the  room,  as  far  re- 
moved .from  justice  as  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances. 

Presently  a  young  man  approached  them.  He  was 
very  nice  looking  and  astonishingly  cheerful.  The 
hopes  of  the  twain  went  up  with  a  bound.  His  ex- 
pression was  so  benign,  so  bland  that  they  at  once 
jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  coming  to  tell 
them  that  they  were  free  to  go,  that  it  had  all  been 
a  stupid  mistake.  But  they  were  wrong.  He  smil- 
ingly introduced  himself  as  an  advocate  connected 
with  the  court  by  appointment  and  that  he  would  be 
eternally  grateful  to  them  if  they  would  tell  him  what 
he  could  do  for  them. 


THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP  237 

"  I'd  like  to  have  a  word  in  private  with  the  Magis- 
trate," said  the  Prince  of  Graustark  eagerly. 

"  Impossible !  "  said  the  advocate,  lifting  his  eye- 
brows and  his  smart  little  musbachios  in  an  expression 
of  extreme  amazement.  "  It  is  imposs  — "  A  sharp 
rapping  on  the  Judge's  desk  reduced  the  remainder 
of  the  sentence  to  a  delicate  whisper  — "  ible. 
M'sieur." 

"  Will  you  conduct  me  to  a  telephone  booth  ? " 
whispered  Miss  Guile,  tearfully. 

"  Pray  do  not  weep,  Mademoiselle,"  implored  the 
advocate,  profoundly  moved,  but  at  the  same  time 
casting  a  calculating  eye  over  the  luckless  pair. 

K  Well,  what's  to  be  done  ? "  demanded  Robin. 
"  We  insist  on  having  our  own  legal  advisors  here." 

"  The  court  will  not  delay  the  hearing,  M'sieur," 
explained  the  young  man.  "  Besides,  the  best  legal 
advisor  in  Paris  could  do  no  more  than  to  advise  you 
to  plead  guilty.  I  at  least  can  do  that  quite  as  ably 
as  the  best  of  them.  No  one  ever  pretends  to  defend 
a  case  in  the  automobile  courts,  M'sieur.  It  is  a 
waste  of  time,  and  the  court  does  not  approve  of  wast- 
ing time.  Perhaps  you  will  feel  more  content  if  I 
introduce  the  assistant  public  prosecutor,  who  will 
explain  the  law.  That  is  his  only  duty.  He  does  not 
prosecute.  There  is  no  need.  The  sergents  testify 
and  that  is  all  there  is  to  the  case." 

"  May  I  inquire  what  service  you  can  be  to  us  if 
the  whole  business  is  cut  and  dried  like  that  ?  "  asked 
Robin. 


238        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Not  so  loud,  M'sieur.  As  I  said  before,  I  can  ad- 
vise you  in  respect  to  your  plea,  and  I  can  tell  you 
how  to  present  your  statement  to  the  court.  I  can 
caution  you  in  many  ways.  Sometimes  a  prisoner, 
who  is  well-rehearsed,  succeeds  in  affecting  the  hon- 
ourable Magistrate  nicely,  and  the  punishment  is  not 
so  severe." 

"  So  you  advise  us  to  plead  guilty  as  delicately  as 
possible?  " 

"  I  shall  not  advise  you,  M'sieur,  unless  it  pleases 
you  to  retain  me  as  your  counsellor.  The  fee  is 
small.  Ten  francs.  Inasmuch  as  the  amount  is 
charged  against  you  in  the  supplemental  costs,  it 
seems  foolish  not  to  take  advantage  of  what  you  are 
obliged  to  pay  for  in  any  event.  You  will  have  to 
pay  my  fee,  so  you  may  as  well  permit  me  to  be  of 
service  to  you." 

"  My  only  concern  is  over  Mademoiselle,"  said  the 
Prince.  "You  may  send  me  to  jail  if  you  like,  if 
you'll  only — " 

"  Mon  dieu !  I  am  not  the  one  who  enjoys  the  dis- 
tinguished honour  of  being  permitted  to  send  people 
to  jail,  but  the  Judge,  M'sieur." 

"  It  is  ridiculous  to  submit  this  innocent  young 
lady  to  the  humiliation  of — " 

"  It  is  not  only  ridiculous  but  criminal,"  said  the 
advocate,  with  a  magnificent  bow.  "  But  what  is  one 
to  do  when  it  is  the  law?  Of  late,  the  law  is  pecul- 
iarly sexless.  And  now  here  is  where  I  come  in.  It 
is  I  who  shall  instruct  you  —  both  of  you,  Made- 


239 

moiselle  —  how  to  conduct  yourselves  before  the  Mag- 
istrate. Above  all  things,  do  not  attempt  to  contra- 
dict a  single  statement  of  the  police.  Admit  that  all 
they  say  is  true,  even  though  they  say  that  you  have 
run  over  a  child  or  an  old  woman  with  mortal  results. 
It  will  go  much  easier  with  you.  Exercise  the  gravest 
politeness  and  deference  toward  the  honourable  Mag- 
istrate and  to  every  officer  of  the  court.  You  are 
Americans,  no  doubt.  The  courts  are  prone  to  be 
severe  with  the  Americans  because  they  sometimes  un- 
dertake to  tell  them  how  easy  it  is  to  get  the  right 
kind  of  justice  in  your  wonderfully  progressive  United 
States.  Be  humble,  contrite,  submissive,  for  that  is 
only  justice  to  the  court.  If  you  have  killed  some 
one  in  your  diversions,  pray  do  not  try  to  tell  the 
magistrate  that  the  idiot  ought  to  have  kept  his  eyes 
open.  Another  thing:  do  not  inform  the  court  that 
you  require  a  lawyer.  That  is  evidence  of  extreme 
culpability  and  he  will  consider  you  to  be  inexcusably 
guilty.  Are  you  attending?  Pray  do  not  feel  sorry 
for  the  two  young  men  who  are  now  being  led  away. 
See!  They  are  weeping.  It  is  as  I  thought.  They 
are  going  to  prison  for  —  But  that  is  their  affair, 
not  ours.  I  advised  them  as  I  am  advising  you,  but 
they  insisted  on  making  a  statement  of  their  case. 
That  was  fatal,  for  it  failed  in  many  respects  to  cor- 
roborate the  information  supplied  by  the  police. 
It—" 

"  What  was  the  charge  against  them  ?  "  whispered 
Miss  Guile,  quaking.     She  had  watched  the  exit  of 


240         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

the  tearful  young  men,  one  of  whom  was  sobbing  bit- 
terly, and  a  great  fear  possessed  her. 

"  Of  that,  Mademoiselle,  I  am  entirely  ignorant, 
but  they  were  unmistakably  guilty  of  denying  it,  what- 
ever it  was." 

"Are  they  going  to  prison?"  she  gasped. 

**  It  is  not  that  which  causes  them  to  weep  so  bit- 
terly, but  the  knowledge  that  their  names  are  to  be 
posted  on  the  bulletin  boards  in  the  Place  de  1'Opera, 
the  Place  de  1'Concorde,  the — " 

"  Good  Lord ! "  gasped  Robin.  "  Is  that  being 
done?" 

"  It  is  M'sieur,  and  the  effect  is  marvellous.  Three 
months  ago  the  boards  were  filled  with  illustrious 
names;  to-day  there  are  but  few  to  be  found  upon 
them.  The  people  have  discovered  that  the  courts 
are  in  earnest.  The  law  is  obeyed  as  it  never  was 
before.  The  prisons  were  crowded  to  suffocation  at 
one  time;  now  they  are  almost  empty.  It  is  a  good 
law.  To-day  a  mother  can  wheel  her  baby  carriage 
in  the  thickest  of  the  traffic  and  run  no  risk  of  — 
Ah,  but  here  is  the  assistant  prosecutor  coming.  Per- 
mit me  to  further  warn  you  that  you  will  be  placed 
under  oath  to  tell  the  absolute  truth.  The  prosecutor 
will  ask  but  three  questions  of  you:  your  age,  your 
name  and  your  place  of  residence.  All  of  them  you 
TOust  answer  truthfully,  especially  as  to  your  names. 
If  it  is  discovered  that  you  have  falsely  given  a  name 
not  your  own,  the  lowest  penalty  is  sixty  days  in 
prison,  imposed  afterwards  in  addition  to  the  sen- 


THE  MICE  IN  A  TRAP 

tence  you  will  receive  for  violating  the  traffic  laws. 
I  have  performed  my  duty  as  required  by  the  com- 
missioner. My  fee  is  a  fixed  one,  so  you  need  not  put 
your  hand  into  your  pocket,  M'sieur.  Good  day, 
Mademoiselle  —  good  day,  M'sieur."  He  bowed  pro- 
foundly and  gave  way  to  the  impatient  prosecutor, 
who  had  considerately  held  himself  aloof  while  the  final 
words  were  being  uttered,  albeit  he  glanced  at  his 
watch  a  couple  of  times. 

**  Come,"  he  said,  and  he  did  not  whisper ;  "  let  us 
be  as  expeditious  as  possible.  Approach  the  court. 
It  is  — " 

"  See  here,"  said  Robin  savagely,  "  this  is  too 
damned  high-handed.  Are  we  to  have  no  chance  to 
defend  ourselves  ?  We  — " 

"  Just  as  you  please,  M'sieur,"  interrupted  the 
prosecutor  patiently.  "  It  is  nothing  to  me.  I  re- 
ceive my  fee  in  any  event.  If  you  care  to  defy  the 
law  in  addition  to  what  you  have  already  done,  it  is 
not  for  me  to  object." 

"  Well,  I  insist  on  having  — " 

A  thunderous  pounding  on  the  bench  interrupted 
his  hot-headed  speech. 

"  Attend !  "  came  in  a  sharp,  uncompromising  voice 
from  the  bench.  "  What  is  the  delay  ?  This  is  no 
time  to  think.  All  that  should  have  been  done  before. 
Step  forward!  Sergent,  see  that  the  prisoners  step 
forward." 

Robin  slipped  his  arm  through  Miss  Guile's,  expect- 
ing her  to  droop  heavily  upon  it  for  support.  To  his 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

surprise  she  drew  herself  up,  dis-engaged  herself,  anil 
walked  straight  up  to  the  bench,  without  fear  or  hesi- 
tation. It  was  Robin  who  needed  an  example  of  cour- 
age and  fortitude,  not  she.  The  chauffeur  and  foot- 
man, shivering  in  their  elegance,  already  stood  before 
the  bench. 

"  Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  raise  your  veil,  Madam  ?  " 
spake  the  court. 

She  promptly  obeyed.  He  leaned  forward  with 
sudden  interest.  The  prosecutor  blinked  and  abruptly 
overcame  the  habitual  inclination  to  appear  bored. 
Such  ravishing  beauty  had  never  before  found  its  way 
into  that  little  court-room.  Adjacent  moustaches 
were  fingered  somewhat  convulsively  by  several  ser- 
gents  de  mile. 

"  Ahem ! "  said  the  court,  managing  with  some  dif- 
ficulty to  regain  his  judicial  form.  "  I  am  compelled 
by  law,  iVlademoiselle,  to  warn  you  before  you  are 
placed  under  oath  that  the  lowest  penalty  for  giving 
a  false  name  in  answer  'to  the  charge  to  be  brought 
against  you  is  imprisonment  for  not  less  than  sixty 
days.  I  repeat  this  warning  to  you,  young  man.  Be 
sworn,  if  you  please." 

Robin  experienced  a  queer  sense  of  exultation,  not 
at  all  lessened  by  the  knowledge  that  he  would  be  forced 
to  reveal  his  own  identity.  Would  she  call  herself 
Bedelia  Guile  or  would  she  — " 

"  State  your  name,  Mademoiselle,"  said  the  prose- 
cutor. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

THREE   MESSAGES 

Miss  GUILE  lowered  her  head  for  an  instant.  Robin 
could  see  that  her  lip  was  quivering.  A  vast  pity 
for  her  took  possession  of  him  and  he  was  ashamed 
of  what  he  now  regarded  as  unexampled  meanness  of 
spirit  on  his  own  part.  She  lifted  her  shamed,  plead- 
ing eyes  to  search  his,  as  if  expecting  to  find  succour 
in  their  fearless  depths.  She  found  them  gleaming 
with  indignation,  suddenly  aroused,  and  was  in- 
stantly apprehensive.  There  was  a  look  in  those  eyes 
of  his  that  seemed  prophetic  of  dire  results  unless 
she  checked  the  words  that  were  rising  to  his  lips. 
She  shook  her  head  quickly  and,  laying  a  hand  upon 
his  arm,  turned  to  the  waiting  magistrate. 

"  My  name  is  —  Oh,  is  there  no  way  to  avoid  the 
publicity  — "  she  sighed  miserably  — "  the  publicity 
that—" 

"  I  regret,  Mademoiselle,  that  there  is  no  alterna- 
tive— "  began  the  Judge,  to  be  interrupted  by  the 
banging  of  the  court-room  door.  He  looked  up,  glar- 
ing at  the  offender  with  ominous  eyes.  The  polite 
attendant  from  the  outer  corridor  was  advancing  in 
great  haste.  He  was  not  only  in  haste  but  vastly 
perturbed. 

Despite  the  profound  whack   of  the  magistrate's 
243 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

paper  weight  on  the  hollow  top  of  the  desk  and  the 
withering  scowl  that  went  with  it,  the  attendant  rushed 
forward,  forgetting  his  manners,  his  habits  and  his 
power  of  speech  in  one  complete  surrender  to  nature. 
He  thrust  into  the  hand  of  the  Judge  a  slip  of  paper, 
at  the  same  time  gasping  something  that  might  have 
been  mistaken  for  an  appeal  for  pardon  but  which 
more  than  likely  was  nothing  of  the  sort. 

"  What  is  this  ?  "  demanded  the  Judge  ferociously. 

"  Mon  dieu ! "  replied  the  attendant,  rolling  his 
eyes  heavenward. 

The  magistrate  was  impressed.  He  took  up  the 
slip  of  paper  and  read  what  was  written  thereon. 
Then  he  was  guilty  of  a  start.  The  next  instant  he 
had  the  prosecutor  up  beside  him  and  then  the  advo- 
cate. Together  they  read  the  message  from  the  out- 
side and  together  they  lifted  three  pairs  of  incredu- 
lous eyes  to  stare  at  the  culprits  below.  There  was 
a  hurried  consultation  in  excited  whisperings,  inter- 
mittent stares  and  far  from  magisterial  blinkings. 

Robin  bent  close  to  Bedelia's  ear  and  whispered: 
'*  We  must  have  killed  some  one,  the  way  they  are 
acting." 

Her  face  was  glowing  with  triumph.  "  No.  Luck 
is  with  us,  Mr.  Schmidt.  You'll  see !  " 

The  magistrate  cleared  his  throat  and  beamed  upon 
them  in  a  most  friendly  fashion. 

Robin  grasped  the  situation  in  a  flash.  His  own 
identity  had  been  revealed  to  the  Judge.  It  was  not 
likely  that  the  daughter  of  William  Blithers  could 


THREE  MESSAGES  245 

create  such  lively  interest  in  a  French  court  of  justice, 
so  it  must  be  that  Gourou  or  Quinnox  had  come  to 
the  rescue.  The  court  would  not  think  of  fining  a 
prince  of  the  royal  blood,  law  or  no  law! 

"  M'sieur,  Mademoiselle,  will  you  be  so  good  as  to 
resume  your  seats?  An  extraordinary  condition  has 
arisen.  I  shall  be  obliged  to  investigate.  The  trial 
must  be  interrupted  for  a  few  minutes.  Pardon  the 
delay.  I  shall  return  as  quickly  as  possible.  Ser- 
gentl  See  that  Mademoiselle  and  M'sieur  are  made 
comfortable." 

He  descended  from  the  bench  and  hurried  into  the 
corridor,  followed  closely  by  the  prosecutor  and  the 
advocate,  both  of  whom  almost  trod  on  his  heels. 
This  may  have  been  due  to  the  fact  that  they  were 
slighter  men  and  more  sprightly,  but  more  than  likely 
it  was  because  they  were  unable  to  see  where  they  were 
going  for  the  excellent  reason  that  they  were  not  look- 
ing in  that  direction  at  all. 

Policemen  and  attendants,  mystified  but  impressed, 
set  about  to  make  the  culprits  comfortable.  They 
hustled  at  least  a  half  dozen  roomy  chairs  out  of  an 
adjoining  chamber;  they  procured  palm-leaf  fans  and 
even  proffered  the  improbable  —  ice-water !  —  after 
which  they  betook  themselves  to  a  remote  corner  and 
whispered  excitedly  at  each  other,  all  the  while  re- 
garding the  two  prisoners  with  intense  interest.  Even 
the  despairing  footman  and  chauffeur  exhibited  un- 
mistakable signs  of  life. 

"  I  fancy  my  friends  have  heard  of  our  plight,  Mr, 


246        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARE 

Schmidt,"  she  said,  quite  composedly.  "  We  will  be 
released  in  a  very  few  minutes." 

He  smiled  complacently.  He  could  afford  to  let 
her  believe  that  her  friends  and  not  his  were  perform- 
ing a  miracle. 

"  Your  friends  must  be  very  powerful,"  he  said. 

"  They  are,"  said  she,  with  considerable  directness. 

"  Still,  we  are  not  out  of  the  scrape  yet,  Misg 
Guile,"  he  remarked,  shaking  his  head.  "  It  may  be 
a  flash  in  the  pan." 

"  Oh,  please  don't  say  that,"  she  cried  in  quick 
alarm.  "  I  —  I  should  die  if  —  if  we  were  to  be  sent 
to—" 

"  Listen  to  me,"  he  broke  in  eagerly,  for  an  in- 
spiration had  come  to  him.  "  There's  no  reason  why 
you  should  suffer,  in  any  event.  Apparently  I  am  a 
suspected  person.  I  may  just  as  well  be  a  kidnapper 
as  not.  You  must  allow  me  to  inform  the  Judge  that 
I  was  abducting  you,  so  that  he — " 

"How  absurd!" 

"  I  don't  in  the  least  mind.  Besides,  I  too  have 
powerful  friends  who  will  see  that  I  am  released  in  a 
day  or  two.  You — " 

"  You  cannot  hope  to  convince  the  Judge  that  you 
were  abducting  me  in  my  own  automobile  —  or  at 
least  in  one  belonging  to  my  friends,  who  are  irre- 
proachable. I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for 
thinking  of  it,  Mr.  Schmidt,  but  it  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. I  couldn't  allow  you  to  do  it  in  the  first  place, 


THREE  MESSAGES 

and  in  the  second  I'm  sure  the  court  wouldn't  believe 
you." 

"  It  was  I  who  suggested  running  away  from  those 
detectives,"  he  protested. 

"  But  I  jumped  at  the  chance,  ^didn't  I? "  she 
whispered  triumphantly.  "  I  am  even  guiltier  than 
thou.  Can  you  ever  forgive  me  for — " 

"  Hush ! "  he  said,  in  a  very  low  voice.  His  hand 
fell  upon  hers  as  it  rested  on  the  arm  of  the  chair. 
They  were  in  the  shadows.  She  looked  up  quickly 
and  their  eyes  met.  After  a  moment  hers  fell,  and  she 
gently  withdrew  her  hand  from  its  place  of  bondage. 
"  We  are  pals,  Bedelia,"  he  went  on  softly.  "  Pals 
never  go  back  on  each  other.  They  sink  or  swim 
together,  and  they  never  stop  to  inquire  the  reason 
why.  When  it  comes  to  a  pinch,  one  or  the  other 
will  sacrifice  himself  that  his  pal  may  be  saved.  I  — " 

"  Please  do  not  say  anything  more,"  she  said,  her 
eyes  strangely  serious  and  her  voice  vibrant  with  emo- 
tion. "  Please ! " 

"  I  have  a  confession  to  make  to  you,"  he  began, 
leaning  still  closer.  "  You  have  taken  me  on  faith. 
You  do  not  know  who  or  what  I  am.  I  — " 

She  held  up  her  hand,  an  engaging  frown  in  her 
eyes.  "  Stop !  This  is  no  place  for  confessions.  I 
will  not  listen  to  you.  Save  your  confessions  for  the 
magistrate.  Tell  him  the  truth,  Mr.  Schmidt.  I  am 
content  to  wait." 

He  stared  for  an  instant,  perplexed.     "  See  here, 


248         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

Miss  Guile, —  Bedelia, —  I've  just  got  to  tell  you  some- 
thing that  — " 

"  You  may  tell  me  at  Interlaken,"  she  interrupted, 
and  she  was  now  quite  visibly  agitated. 

"  At  Interlaken?  Then  you  mean  to  carry  out  your 
plan  to  spend — " 

"  Sh !     Here  they  come.     Now  we  shall  see." 

The  magistrate  and  his  companions  re-entered  the 
room  at  that  instant,  more  noticeably  excited  than 
when  they  left  it.  The  former,  rubbing  his  hands 
together  and  smiling  as  he  had  never  smiled  before, 
approached  the  pair.  It  did  not  occur  to  him  to  re- 
sent the  fact  that  they  remained  seated  in  his  august 
presence. 

"  A  lamentable  mistake  has  been  made,"  he  said. 
"  I  regret  that  M'sieur  and  Mademoiselle  have  been 
subjected  to  so  grave  an  indignity.  Permit  me  to 
apologise  for  the  misguided  energy  of  our  excellent 
ser  gents.  They  — " 

"  But  we  were  exceeding  the  speed  limit,"  said 
Robin  comfortably,  now  that  the  danger  was  past. 
"  The  officers  were  acting  within  their  rights." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  exclaimed  the  magistrate. 
"  They  are  splendid  fellows,  all  of  them,  and  I  beg 
of  you  to  overlook  their  unfortunate  —  er  —  zealous- 
ness.  Permit  me  to  add  that  you  are  not  guilty  — 
I  should  say,  that  you  are  honourably  discharged  by 
this  humble  court.  But  wait!  The  sergents  shall 
also  apologise.  Here!  Attend.  It  devolves  upon 
you—" 


THREE  MESSAGES 


" 


Oh,  I  beg  of  you  —  "  began  Robin,  but  already 
the  policemen,  who  had  been  listening  open-mouthed 
to  the  agitated  prosecutor,  were  bowing  and  scraping 
and  muttering  their  apologies  for  enforcing  a  cruel 
and  unjust  law. 

""  And  we  are  not  obliged  to  give  our  names,  M'sieur 
le  judge?  "  cried  Miss  Guile  gladly. 

"  Mademoiselle,"  said  he,  with  a  profound  bow, 
"  it  is  not  necessary  to  acquaint  me  with  something 
I  already  know.  Permit  me  to  again  express  the  most 
unbounded  regret  that  —  " 

*'  Oh,  thank  you,"  she  cried.  "  We  have  had  a 
really  delightful  experience.  You  owe  us  no  apology, 
M'sieur,  And  now,  may  we  depart?  " 

"  Instantly  !  LaChance,  conduct  M'sieur  and 
Mademoiselle  into  the  fresh,  sweet,  open  air  and  dis* 
cover  their  car  for  them  without  delay.  Sergents, 
remain  behind.  Let  there  be  nothing  to  indicate  that 
gjao.ro  Jias  been  detention.  Mademoiselle,  you  have 
been  merely  making  a  phil&iLi^r^pic  visit  to  our  prison, 
There  has  been  no  arrest." 

Robin  and  Miss  Guile  emerged  from  the  low,  for- 
bidding door  and  stood  side  by  side  on  the  pavement 
looking  up  and  down  the  street  in  search  of  the  car. 
It  was  nowhere  in  sight.  The  chauffeur  gasped  with 
amazement  —  and  alarm.  He  had  left  it  standing 
directly  in  front  of  the  door,  and  now  it  was  gone. 

"  It  is  suggested,  M'sieur,"  said  the  polite  La- 
Chance,  "  that  you  walk  to  the  corner  beyond,  turn 
to  the  left  and  there  you  will  find  the  car  in  plain 


250        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

view.  It  was  removed  by  two  gentlemen  soon  after 
you  condescended  to  honour  us  with  a  visit  of  inspec- 
tion, and  thereby  you  have  escaped  much  unnecessary 
attention  from  the  curious  who  always  infest  the  vi- 
cinity of  police  offices."  He  saluted  them  gravelv 
and  returned  at  once  to  the  corridor. 

Following  leisurely  in  the  wake  of  the  hurrying 
servants,  Robin  and  Bedelia  proceeded  down  the  nar- 
row street  to  the  corner  indicated.  They  were  silent 
and  preoccupied.  After  all,  who  was  to  be  thanked 
for  the  timely  escape,  his  god  or  hers? 

And  here  it  may  be  said  that  neither  of  them  was 
ever  to  know  who  sent  that  brief  effective  message  to 
the  magistrate,  nor  were  they  ever  to  know  the  nature 
of  its  contents. 

The  men  were  examining  the  car  when  they  came  up. 
No  one  was  near.  There  was  no  one  to  tell  how  it 
came  to  be  there  nor  whither  its  unknown  driver  had 
gone.  It  stood  close  to  the  curb  and  the  engine  was 
throbbing,  proof  in  itself  that  some  one  had  but  re- 
cently deserted  his  post  as  guardian. 

"  The  obliging  man-hunters,"  suggested  Robin  in 
reply  to  a  low-voiced  question. 

"  Or  your  guardian  angel,  the  great  Gourou ! "  she 
said,  frowning  slightly.  "  By  the  way,  Mr.  Schmidt, 
do  you  expect  to  be  under  surveillance  during  your 
stay  at  Interlaken?  " 

There  was  irony  in  her  voice.  "  Not  if  I  can  help 
it,"  he  said.  "And  you,  Miss  Guile?  Is  it  possible 
that  two  of  the  best  detectives  in  Paris  are  to  continue 


THREE  MESSAGES  251 

treading  on  your  heels  all  the  time  you  are  in  Europe? 
Must  we  go  about  with  the  uncomfortable  feeling  that 
some  one  is  staring  at  us  from  behind,  no  matter 
where  we  are?  Are  we  to  be  perpetually  attended 
by  the  invisible?  If  so,  I  am  afraid  we  will  find  it 
very  embarrassing." 

They  were  in  the  car  now  and  proceeding  at  a  snail's 
pace  toward  the  Arc  de  Triomphe.  Her  eyes  nar- 
rowed. He  was  sure  that  she  clutched  her  slim 
fingers  tightly  although,  for  an  excellent  reason,  he 
was  not  by  way  of  knowing.  He  was  rapturously 
watching  those  expressive  eyes. 

"  I  shall  put  a  stop  to  this  ridiculous  espionage  at 
once,  Mr.  Schmidt.  These  men  shall  be  sent  kiting 
—  I  mean,  about  their  business  before  this  day  is 
over.  I  do  not  intend  to  be  spied  upon  an  instant 
longer." 

"  Still  they  may  have  been  instruments  of  provi- 
dence to-day,"  he  reminded  her.  '*  Without  them,  we 
might  now  be  languishing  in  jail  and  our  spotless 
names  posted  in  the  Place  de  1'Opera.  Bedelia  Guile 
and  Rex  Schmidt,  malefactors.  What  would  your 
father  say  to  that?  " 

She  smiled  —  a  ravishing  smile,  it  was.  His  heart 
gave  a  stupendous  jump.  "  He  would  say  that  it 
served  me  right,"  said  she,  and  then :  "  But  what 
difference  can  it  possibly  make  to  you,  Mr.  Schmidt, 
if  the  detectives  continue  to  watch  over  me?" 

"  None,"  said  he  promptly.  "  I  suppose  they  are 
used  to  almost  anything  in  the  way  of  human  nature, 


252         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

so  if  they  don't  mind,  I'm  sure  I  sha'n't.  I  haven't 
the  slightest  objection  to  being  watched  by  detectives, 
if  we  can  only  keep  other  people  from  seeing  us." 

"  Don't  be  silly,"  she  cried,  "  And  let  me  remind 
you  while  I  think  of  it:  You  are  not  to  call  me  Be- 
delia." 

"  Bedelia,"  he  said  deliberately. 

She  sighed.  "  I  am  afraid  I  have  been  mistaken  in 
you,"  she  said.  He  recalled  Gourou's  advice.  Had 
he  failed  in  the  test  ?  "  But  don't  do  it  again." 

"  Now  that  I  think  of  it,"  he  said  soberly,  "  you  are 
not  to  call  me  Mr.  Schmidt.  Please  bear  that  in 
mind,  Bedelia." 

"Thank  you.  I  don't  like  the  name.  I'll  call 
you—" 

Just  then  the  footman  turned  on  the  seat  and  ex- 
citedly pointed  to  a  car  that  had  swung  into  the  boule- 
vard  from  a  side  street. 

"  The  man-hunters ! "  exclaimed  Robin.  "  By 
jove,  we  didn't  lose  them  after  all." 

"  To  the  Ritz,  Pierre,"  she  cried  out  sharply. 
Once  more  she  seemed  perturbed  and  anxious. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  call  me  ?  "  he  demanded, 
insistently. 

"  I  haven't  quite  decided,"  she  replied,  and  lapsed 
into  moody  silence. 

Her  nervousness  increased  as  they  sped  down  the 
Champs  Elysees  and  across  the  Place  de  la  Concorde. 
He  thought  that  he  understood  the  cause  and  pres- 
ently sought  to  relieve  her  anxiety  by  suggesting  that 


THREE  MESSAGES  253 

she  set  him  down  somewhere  along  the  Rue  de  Rivoli. 
She  flushed  painfully. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Schmidt,  I  —  are  you  sure  you 
will  not  mind?  " 

"  May  I  ask  what  it  is  that  you  are  afraid  of,  Miss 
Guile?  "  he  inquired  seriously. 

She  was  lowering  her  veil.  "  I  am  not  afraid,  Mr. 
Schmidt,"  she  said.  "  I  am  a  very,  very  guilty  per- 
son, that's  all.  I've  done  something  I  ought  not  to 
have  done,  and  I'm  —  I'm  ashamed.  You  don't  con- 
sider me  a  bold,  silly — " 

"  Good  Lord,  no ! "  he  cried  fervently. 

"  Then  why  do  you  call  me  Bedelia  ?  "  she  aske3, 
shaking  her  head. 

"  If  you  feel  that  way  about  it,  I  —  I  humbly  im- 
plore you  to  overlook  my  freshness,"  he  cried  in  de- 
spair. 

"Will  you  get  out  here,  Mr.  Schmidt?"  She 
pressed  a  button  and  the  car  swung  alongside  the 
curb. 

"  When  am  I  to  see  you  again?  "  he  asked,  holding 
out  his  hand.  She  gave  it  a  firm,  friendly  grip  and 
said: 

"  I  am  going  to  Switzerland  the  day  after  to- 
morrow. Good-bye." 

In  a  sort  of  daze,  he  walked  up  the  Rue  Castiliogne 
to  the  Place  Vendome.  His  heart  was  light  and  his 
eyes  were  shining  with  a  flame  that  could  have  but 
one  origin.  He  was  no  longer  in  doubt.  He  was  in 
love.  He  had  found  the  Golden  Girl  almost  a>  the 


254        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

end  of  his  journey,  and  what  cared  he  if  she  did  turn 
out  to  be  the  daughter  of  old  man  Blithers?  What 
cared  he  for  anything  but  Bedelia?  There  would  be 
a  pretty  howdy-do  when  he  announced  to  his  people 
that  their  Princess  had  been  selected  for  them,  whether 
or  no,  and  there  might  be  such  a  thing  as  banishment 
for  himself.  Even  at  that,  he  would  be  content,  for 
Bedelia  was  proof  against  titles.  If  she  loved  him, 
it  would  be  for  himself.  She  would  scorn  the  crown 
and  mock  the  throne,  and  they  would  go  away  together 
and  live  happily  ever  afterward,  as  provided  by  the 
most  exacting  form  of  romance.  And  Blithers? 
What  a  joke  it  would  be  on  Blithers  if  he  gave  up  the 
throne ! 

As  he  approached  the  Ritz,  a  tall  young  man 
emerged  from  the  entrance,  stared  at  him  for  an  in- 
stant, and  then  swung  off  at  a  rapid  pace  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Rue  de  la  Paix.  The  look  he  gave  Robin 
was  one  of  combined  amazement  and  concern,  and 
the  tail  end  of  it  betrayed  unmistakable  annoyanet, 
—  or  it  might  have  been  hatred.  He  looked  over  his 
shoulder  once  and  found  Robin  staring  after  him. 
This  time  there  could  be  no  mistake.  He  was  furious, 
but  whether  with  Robin  or  himself  there  was  no  means 
of  deciding  from  the  standpoint  of  an  observer.  At 
any  rate,  he  quickened  his  pace  and  soon  disappeared. 

He  was  the  good-looking  young  fellow  who  had  met 
her  at  the  steamship  landing,  and  it  was  quite  obvious 
that  he  had  been  making  investigations  on  his  ow*»  ac- 
count. 


THREE  MESSAGES  255 

Robin  permitted  himself  a  sly  grin  as  he  sauntered 
into  the  hotel.  He  had  given  that  fellow  something 
to  worry  about,  if  he  had  accomplished  nothing  else. 
Then  he  found  himself  wondering  if,  by  any  chance, 
it  could  be  the  Scoville  fellow.  That  would  be  a 
facer ! 

He  found  Quinnox  and  Dank  awaiting  him  in  the 
lobby.  They  were  visibly  excited. 

"Did  you  observe  the  fellow  who  just  went  out?" 
inquired  Robin,  assuming  a  most  casual  manner. 

"  Yes,"  said  both  men  in  unison. 

"  I  think  we've  got  some  interesting  news  concern- 
ing that  very  chap,"  added  the  Count,  glancing  around 
uneasily. 

"Perhaps  I  may  be  able  to  anticipate  it,  Count,5* 
ventured  Robin.  "  I've  an  idea  he  is  young  Scoville, 
the  chap  who  is  supposed  to  be  in  love  with  Miss 
Blithers  —  and  vice  versa"  he  concluded,  with  a 
chuckle. 

"What  have  you  heard?"  demanded  the  Count  in 
astonishment. 

"  Let's  sit  down,"  said  Robin,  at  once  convinced 
that  he  had  stumbled  upon  an  unwelcome  truth. 

They  repaired  to  the  garden  and  were  lucky  enough 
to  find  a  table  somewhat  removed  from  the  crowd  of 
tea-drinkers.  Robin  began  fanning  himself  with  his 
broad  straw-hat.  He  felt  uncomfortably  warm. 
Quinnox  gravely  extracted  two  .or  three  bits  of  paper 
from  his  pocket,  and  spread  them  out  in  order  before 
his  sovereign. 


£56        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

*'  Read  this  one  first,"  said  he  grimly. 

It  was  a  cablegram  from  their  financial  agents  in 
New  York  City,  and  it  said :  "  Mr.  B.  making  a  hur- 
ried trip  to  Paris.  Just  learned  Scoville  preceded 
Miss  B.  to  Europe  by  fast  steamer  and  has  been 
seen  with  her  in  Paris.  B.  fears  an  elopement.  Make 
wire  papers  are  signed  at  once  as  such  contingency 
might  cause  B.  to  change  mind  and  withdraw  if  pos- 
sible." 

Robin  looked  up.  "  I  think  this  may  account  for 
the  two  man-hunters,"  said  he.  His  companions 
stared.  "  You  will  hear  all  about  them  from  Gourou. 
We  were  followed  this  afternoon." 

"  Followed  ?  "  gasped  Quinnox. 

*'  Beautifully,"  said  the  Prince,  with  his  brightest 
smile.  "  Detectives,  you  know.  It  was  ripping." 

"  My  God !  "  groaned  the  Count. 

"  I  fancy  you'll  now  agree  with  me  that  she  is  Miss 
Blithers,"  said  Dank  forlornly. 

"  Cheer  up,  Boske,"  cried  Robin,  slapping  him  on 
the  shoulder.  "  You'll  meet  another  fate  before 
you're  a  month  older.  The  world  is  absolutely 
crowded  with  girls." 

"  You  can't  crowd  the  world  with  one  girl," 
said  Dank,  and  it  was  quite  evident  from  his  expres- 
sion that  he  believed  the  world  contained  no  more 
than  one. 

"  I  had  the  feeling  that  evil  would  be  the  result  of 
this  foolish  trip  to-day,"  groaned  Quinnox.  "  I 
should  not  have  permitted  you  to — " 


THREE  MESSAGES  257! 

**  The  result  is  still  in  doubt,"  said  Robin  enig^ 
matically.  "  And  now,  what  comes  next?  " 

*'  Read  this  one.  It  is  from  Mr.  Blithers.  I'll 
guarantee  that  you  do  not  take  this  one  so  compla- 
cently." 

He  was  right  in  his  surmise.  Robin  ran  his  eye 
swiftly  over  the  cablegram  and  then  started  up  from 
his  chair  with  a  muttered  imprecation. 

"Sh!"  cautioned  the  Count, —  and  just  in  time, 
for  the  young  man  was  on  the  point  of  enlarging  upon 
his  original  effort.  "  Calm  yourself,  Bobby,  my  lad, 
Try  taking  six  or  seven  full,  deep  inhalations,  and 
you'll  find  that  it  helps  wonderfully  as  a  preventive. 
It  saves  many  a  harsh  word.  I've  — " 

"  You  needn't  caution  me,"  murmured  the  Prince. 
"  If  I  had  the  tongue  of  a  pirate  I  couldn't  begin 
to  do  justice  to  this,'*  and  he  slapped  his  hand  re- 
soundingly upon  the  crumpled  message  from  William 
W.  Blithers. 

The  message  had  been  sent  by  Mr.  Blithers  that 
morning,  evidently  just  before  the  sailing  of  the  fast 
French  steamer  on  which  he  and  his  wife  were  cross- 
ing to  Havre.  It  was  directed  to  August  Totten  and 
read  as  follows: 

"  Tell  our  young  friend  to  qualify  statement  to 
press  at  once.  Announce  reconsideration  of  hasty 
denial  and  admit  engagement.  This  is  imperative. 
I  am  not  in  mood  for  trifling.  Have  wired  Paris 
papers  that  engagement  is  settled.  Have  also  wired 
daughter.  The  sooner  we  get  together  on  this  the 


258        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

better.  Wait  for  my  arrival  in  Paris."  It  was 
signed  "  W.  B." 

"  There's  Blitherskite  methods  for  you,"  said  Dank^ 
"  Speaking  of  pirates,  he's  the  king  of  them  all.  Did 
you  ever  hear  of  such  confounded  insolence?  The 
damned  — " 

"  Wait  a  second,  Dank,"  interrupted  the  Count* 
"  There  is  still  another  delectable  communication  for 
you,  Robin.  It  was  directed  to  R.  Schmidt  and  I 
took  the  liberty  of  opening  it,  as  authorised.  Read 
it." 

This  was  one  of  the  ordinary  "  petits  bleu,"  dropped 
into  the  pneumatic  tube  letter-box  at  half-past  two 
that  afternoon,  shortly  before  Robin  ventured  forth 
on  his  interesting  expedition  in  quest  of  tea,  and  its 
contents  were  very  crisp  and  to  the  point: 

"  Pay  no  attention  to  any  word  you  may  have  re- 
ceived from  my  father.  He  cables  a  ridiculous  com- 
mand to  me  which  I  shall  ignore.  If  you  have  re- 
ceived a  similar  message  I  implore  you  to  disregard  it 
altogether.  Let's  give  each  other  a  fighting  chance." 

It  was  signed  "  Maud  Blithers." 


CHAPTER    XVII 

THE    PRODIGAL   DAUGHTER 

MR.  BLITHERS  received  a  marconigram  from  the 
Jupiter  when  the  ship  was  three  days  out  from  New 
York.  It  was  terse  but  sufficient. 

"  Have  just  had  a  glimpse  of  Prince  Charming.     He 
is  very  good-looking.     Love  to   mother.     Maud." 

He  had  barely  settled  into  a  state  of  complete  sat- 
isfaction with  himself  over  the  successful  inauguration 
of  a  shrewd  campaign  to  get  the  better  of  the  recal- 
citrant Maud  and  the  incomprehensible  Robin,  when 
he  was  thrown  into  a  panic  by  the  discovery  that 
young  Chandler  Scoville  had  sailed  for  Europe  two 
days  ahead  of  Maud  and  her  elderly  companion.  The 
gratification  of  knowing  that  the  two  young  people 
,  had  sailed  away  on  the  same  vessel  was  not  in  the  least 
minimised  by  Maud's  declaration  that  she  intended 
to  remain  in  her  cabin  all  the  way  across  in  order  to 
avoid  recognition,  for  he  knew  her  too  well  to  believe 
it  possible  that  she  could  stay  out  of  sight  for  any 
length  of  time,  fair  weather  or  foul.  He  even  made  a 
definite  wager  with  his  wife  that  the  two  would  be- 
come acquainted  before  they  were  half-way  across  the 
Atlantic,  and  he  made  a  bet  with  himself  that  nature 

would  do  the  rest.     And  now  here  came  the  stagger- 

359 


260        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

ing  suspicion  that  Scoville's  hasty  departure  was  tlx 
result  of  a  pre-arranged  plan  between  him  and  Maud, 
and  that,  after  all,  the  silly  girl  might  spoil  everything 
by  marrying  the  confounded  rascal  before  he  could 
do  anything  to  prevent  the  catastrophe. 

He  even  tried  to  engineer  a  scheme  whereby  young 
Scoville  might  be  arrested  on  landing  and  detained  on 
one  pretext  or  another  until  he  could  reach  Europe 
and  put  an  end  to  the  fellow's  vain-glorious  conniv- 
ing. 

But  after  consulting  with  his  lawyers  he  abandoned 
the  plan  because  they  succeeded  in  proving  to  him  that 
Maud  certainly  would  marry  the  fellow  if  she  had 
the  least  ground  for  believing  that  he  was  being  op- 
pressed on  her  account.  The  cables  were  kept  very 
busy,  however,  for  the  next  twenty-four  hours,  and 
it  is  certain  that  Scoville  was  a  marked  man  from  the 
moment  he  landed. 

Newspaper  reporters  camped  on  the  trail  of  Mr. 
Blithers.  He  very  obligingly  admitted  that  there  was 
something  in  the  report  that  his  daughter  was  to  marry 
the  Prince  of  Graustark,  although  he  couldn't  say  any- 
thing definite  at  the  time.  It  wouldn't  be  fair  to  the 
parties  concerned,  he  explained.  He  gave  away  a 
great  many  boxes  of  cigars,  and  not  a  few  of  the 
more  sagacious  reporters  succeeded  in  getting  at  least 
three  boxes  by  interviewing  him  on  as  many  separate 
occasions  without  being  detected  in  the  act  of  repeat- 
ing. Then  came  the  disgusting  denials  in  Paris  by 
his  daughter  and  the  ungrateful  Prince.  This  was 


THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER  261 

too  much.  He  couldn't  understand  such  unfilial  be- 
haviour on  the  part  of  one,  and  he  certainly  couldn't 
forgive  the  ingratitude  of  the  other. 

Instead  of  waiting  until  Saturday  to  sail,  he 
changed  ships  and  left  New  York  on  Friday,  thereby 
gaining  nothing  by  the  move  except  relief  from  the 
newspapers,  for  it  appears  that  he  gave  up  a  five  day 
boat  for  one  that  could  not  do  it  under  six.  Still  he 
was  in  active  pursuit,  which  was  a  great  deal  better 
than  sitting  in  New  York  twiddling  his  thumbs  or 
looking  at  his  watch  and  berating  the  pernicious  hours 
that  stood  between  him  and  Saturday  noon. 

"  There  will  be  something  doing  in  Europe  the  day 
I  land  there,  Lou,"  he  said  to  his  wife  as  they  stood 
on  deck  and  watched  the  Statue  of  Liberty  glide 
swiftly  back  toward  Manhattan  Island.  "  I've  got  all 
the  strings  working  smoothly.  We've  got  Groostock 
where  it  can't  peep  any  louder  than  a  freshly  hatched 
chicken,  and  we'll  soon  bring  Maud  to  her  senses.  I 
tell  you,  Lou,  there  is  nothing  that  makes  a  girl  for- 
get her  lofty  ideals  so  quickly  as  the  chance  to  go 
shopping  for  princess  gowns.  She's  seen  the  prince 
apd  I'll  bet  she  won't  be  so  stubborn  as  she  was  be- 
fore. And  if  he  has  had  a  good,  square  look  at  her, 
—  if  he's  had  a  chance  to  gaze  into  those  eyes  of 
hers, —  why,  I  —  well,  I  leave  it  to  you.  He  can't 
help  getting  off  his  high  horse,  can  he?  " 

Mrs.  Blithers  favoured  him  with  a  smile.  It  was 
acknowledged  that  Maud  was  the  living  image  of  what 
her  mother  had  been  at  the  age  of  twenty,, 


262         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  hope  the  child  hasn't  made  any  silly  promise  to 
Channie  Scoville,"  she  sighed. 

"  I've  been  thinking  of  that,  Lou,"  said  he,  wiping 
his  brow,  "  and  I've  come  to  one  conclusion :  Scoville 
can  be  bought  off.  He's  as  poor  as  Job  and  half  » 
million  will  look  like  the  Bank  of  England  to  him, 
I'll—" 

"  You  are  not  to  attempt  anything  of  the  kind, 
Will,"  she  cried  emphatically.  "  He  would  laugh  in 
your  face,  poor  as  he  is.  He  comes  from  one  of  the 
best  families  in  New  York  and — " 

"  And  I  don't  know  where  the  best  families  need 
money  any  more  than  they  do  in  New  York,"  he  in- 
terrupted irritably.  "  'Gad,  if  the  worst  families  need 
it  as  badly  as  they  do,  what  must  be  the  needs  of  the 
best?  You  leave  it  to  me.  It  may  be  possible  to  in- 
sult him  with  a  half  million,  so  if  he  feels  that  way 
about  it  I'll  apologise  to  him  again  with  another  half 
million.  You'll  see  that  he  won't  be  capable  of  re- 
senting two  insults  in  succession.  He'll — " 

"  He  isn't  a  fool,"  said  she  significantly. 

"  He'd  be  a  fool  if  he  refused  to  take  — " 

"  Are  you  losing  your  senses,  Will?  "  she  cried  im- 
patiently. "  Why  should  he  accept  a  million  to  give 
up  Maud,  when  he  can  be  sure  of  fifty  times  that  much 
if  he  marries  her?"" 

"  But  I'll  cut  Maud  off  with  a  dollar  if  she  marries 
him,  so  help  me  Moses ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Blithers,  but 
he  went  a  little  pale  just  the  same.  "  That  will  fix 
him'" 


THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER 

"  You  are  talking  nonsense,"  said  she  sharply.  He 
put  his  fingers  to  his  ears  somewhat  earlier  than  usual, 
and  she  turned  away  with  a  tantalising  laugh.  "  I'm 
going  inside,"  and  inside  she  went.  When  he  followed 
a  few  minutes  later  he  was  uncommonly  meek. 

"  At  any  rate,"  he  said,  seating  himself  on  the  edge 
of  a  chair  in  her  parlour,  "  I  guess  those  cablegrams 
this  morning  will  make  'em  think  twice  before  they 
go  on  denying  things  in  the  newspapers." 

"  Maud  will  pay  no  attention  to  your  cablegram, 
and,  if  I  am  any  judge  of  human  nature,  the  Prince 
will  laugh  himself  sick  over  the  one  you  sent  to  Count 
Quinnox.  I  told  you  not  to  send  them.  You  are  not 
dealing  with  Wall  Street.  You  are  dealing  with  a 
girl  and  a  boy  who  appear  to  have  minds  of  their 
own." 

He  ventured  a  superior  sniff.  "  I  guess  you  don't 
know  as  much  about  Wall  Street  as  you  think  you 
do." 

"  I  only  know  that  it  puts  its  tail  between  its  legs 
and  howls  every  time  some  one  points  a  finger  at  it," 
she  observed  scornfully. 

"  Now  let's  be  sensible,  Lou,"  he  said,  sitting  back 
a  little  further  in  the  chair,  relieved  to  find  that  she 
was  at  least  willing  to  tolerate  his  presence, —  a  mat- 
ter on  which  he  was  in  some  doubt  when  he  entered 
the  room.  There  were  times  when  he  was  not  quite 
certain  whether  he  or  she  was  the  brains  of  the  family. 
*'  We'll  probably  have  a  wireless  from  Maud  before 
long.  Then  we'll  have  something  tangible  to  discuss. 


S64         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

By  the  way,  did  I  tell  you  that  I've  ordered  some  Dutch 
architects  from  Berlin  to  go  — " 

*'  The  Dutch  are  from  Holland,"  she  said  wearily. 

" —  to  go  over  to  Growstock  and  give  me  a  com- 
plete estimate  on  repairing  and  remodelling  the  royal 
castle?  I  dare  say  we'll  have  to  do  a  good  deal  to 
the  place.  It's  several  hundred  years  old  and  must 
require  a  lot  of  conveniences.  Such  as  bath-rooms, 
electric  lights,  steam  heating  appar — " 

**  Better  make  haste  slowly,  Will,"  she  said,  and  he 
ought  to  have  been  warned  by  the  light  in  her  eye. 
"  You  are  taking  a  great  deal  for  granted,  aren't 
you?  " 

"  It's  got  to  be  fixed  up  some  time,  so  we  might  just 
as  well  do  it  in  the  beginning,"  said  he,  failing  utterly 
to  grasp  her  meaning.  "  Probably  needs  refurnish- 
ing from  top  to  bottom,  too,  and  a  new  roof.  I  never 
saw  a  ruin  yet  that  didn't  leak.  Remember  those 
castles  on  the  Rhine?  Will  you  ever  forget  how  wet 
we  got  the  day  we  went  through  the  one  at  — " 

"  They  were  abandoned,  tumble-down  castles,"  she 
reminded  him. 

**  There  isn't  a  castle  in  Europe  that's  any  good 
in  a  rain-storm,"  he  proclaimed.  "  A  mortgage  can't 
keep  out  the  rain  and  that's  what  every  one  of  'em 
is  covered  with.  Why  old  man  Quiddox  himself  told 
me  that  their  castle  had  been  shot  to  pieces  in  one  of 
the  revolutions  and  — " 

**It  is  time  you  informed  yourself  about  the  coun* 


THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER  265 

try  you  are  trying  to  annex  to  the  Blithers  estate," 
she  said  sarcastically.  "  I  can  assist  you  to  some 
extent  if  you  will  be  good  enough  to  listen.  In  the 
first  place,  the  royal  castle  at  Edelweiss  is  one  of  the 
most  substantial  in  the  world.  It  has  not  been  al- 
lowed to  fall  into  decay.  In  fact,  it  is  inhabitated 
from  top  to  bottom  by  members  of  the  royal  house- 
hold and  the  court,  and  I  fancy  they  are  not  the  sort 
of  people  who  take  kindly  to  a  wetting.  It  is  not  a 
ruin,  Will,  such  as  you  have  been  permitted  to  visit. 
but  a  magnificent  building  with  all  of  the  modern 
improvements.  The  only  wettings  that  the  inmates 
sustain  are  of  a  daily  character  and  due  entirely  to  vol- 
untary association  with  porcelain  bath-tubs  and  nickle- 
plated  showers,  and  they  never  get  anything  wet  but 
their  skins.  As  for  the  furnishings,  I  can  assure  you 
that  the  entire  Blithers  fortune  could  not  replace  them 
if  they  were  to  be  destroyed  by  fire  or  pillage.  They 
are  priceless  and  they  are  unique.  I  have  read  that 
the  hangings  in  the  bed-chamber  of  the  late  Princess 
Yetive  are  the  most  wonderful  in  the  whole  world. 
The  throne  chair  in  the  great  audience  chamber  is 
of  solid  gold  and  weighs  nearly  three  thousand  pounds. 
It  is  studded  with  diamonds,  rubies  — " 

'*  Great  Scott,  Lou,  where  did  you  learn  all  this?  " 
fee  gasped,  his  eyes  bulging. 

" — emeralds  and  other  precious  stones.  There  is 
one  huge  carpet  in  the  royal  drawing-room  that  the 
Czar  of  Russia  is  said  to  have  offered  one  hundred 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

thousand  pounds  for  and  the  offer  was  scorned.  The 
park  surrounding  the  castle  is  said  to  be  beautiful  be- 
yond the  power  of  description.  The  — " 

"  I  asked  you  where  you  got  all  this  information. 
Can't  you  answer  me?  " 

"  I  obtained  all  this  and  a  great  deal  more  from  a 
lady  who  spent  a  year  or  two  inside  the  castle  walls. 
I  refer  to  Mrs.  Truxton  King,  who  might  have  told 
you  as  much  if  you  had  possessed  the  intelligence  to 
inquire." 

"  Gee  whiz ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Blithers,  going  back 
to  his  buoyant  boyhood  days  for  an  adequate  ex- 
pression. "  What  a  wonder  you  are,  Lou.  But  that's 
the  woman  of  it,  always  getting  at  the  inside  of  a 
thing  while  a  man  is  standing  around  looking  at  the 
outside.  Say,  but  won't  it  make  a  wonderful  home 
for  you  and  me  to  spend  a  peaceful  old  age  in  when 
we  get  ready  to  lay  aside  the  — " 

He  stopped  short,  for  she  had  arisen  and  was  stand- 
ing over  him  with  a  quivering  forefinger  levelled  at  his 
nose, —  and  not  more  than  six  inches  away  from  it, 
—  her  handsome  eyes  flashing  with  fury. 

"  You  may  walk  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread,  but 
you  will  walk  alone,  Will  Blithers.  I  shall  not  be  with 
you,  and  you  may  as  well  understand  it  now.  I've 
told  you  a  hundred  times  that  money  isn't  everything, 
and  it  is  as  cheap  as  dirt  when  you  put  it  alongside 
of  tradition,  honour,  pride  and  loyalty.  Those  Graus- 
tarkians  would  take  you  by  the  nape  of  the  neck  and 
march  you  out  of  their  castle  so  quick  that  your  head 


THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER          267 

would  swim.  You  may  be  able  to  buy  their  prince  for 
Maudie  to  exhibit  around  the  country,  but  you  can't 
buy  the  intelligence  of  the  people.  They  won't  have 
you  at  any  price  and  they  won't  have  me,  so  there  is 
the  situation  in  a  nutshell.  They  will  hate  Maudie, 
of  course,  but  they  will  endure  her  for  obvious  reasons. 
They  may  even  come  to  love  and  respect  her  in  the 
end,  for  she  is  worthy.  But  as  for  you  and  me,  Wil- 
liam^—  with  all  our  money, —  we  will  find  every  hand 
against  us  —  even  the  hand  of  our  daughter,  I  pro- 
phesy. I  am  not  saying  that  I  would  regret  seeing 
Maud  the  Princess  of  Graustark  —  far  from  it.  But 
I  do  say  that  you  and  I  will  be  expected  to  know  our 
places.  If  you  attempt  to  spend  your  declining  years 
in  the  castle  at  Edelweiss  you  will  find  them  reduced 
to  days,  and  short  ones  at  that.  The  people  of  Graus- 
tark will  see  to  it  that  you  die  before  your  time." 

"  Bosh! "  said  Mr.  Blithers.  «  Mind  if  I  smoke?  "• 
He  took  out  a  cigar  and  began  searching  for 
matches. 

"  No,"  she  said,  "  I  don't  mind.  It  is  a  sign  that 
you  need  something  to  steady  your  nerves.  I  know 
you,  Will  Blithers.  You  don't  want  to  smoke.  You 
want  to  gain  a  few  minutes  of  time,  that's  all." 

He  lit  a  cigar.  "  Right  you  are,"  was  his  unex- 
pected admission.  "  I  wonder  if  you  really  have  the 
right  idea  about  this  business.  What  objection  could 
any  one  have  to  a  poor,  tired  old  man  sitting  in  front 
of  his  daughter's  fireside  and  —  and  playing  with  her 
kiddies?  It  seems  to  me  that — " 


268         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  You  will  never  be  a  tired  old  man,  that's  the 
trouble,"  she  said,  instantly  touched. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  will,"  said  he  slowly.  "  I'm  rathei 
looking  forward  to  it,  too." 

"  It  will  be  much  nicer  to  have  the  kiddies  come  to 
your  own  fireside,  Will.  I  used  to  enjoy  nothing  bet- 
ter than  going  to  spend  a  few  days  with  my  grand' 
father." 

"  But  what's  the  use  of  going  to  all  this  trouble 
and  expense  if  we  are  not  to  enjoy  some  of  the  fruits?*9 
he  protested,  making  a  determined  stand.  "  If  these 
people  can't  be  grateful  to  the  man  who  helps  'em 
out  in  their  time  of  trouble, —  and  who  goes  out  of  his 
way  to  present  'em  with  a  bright,  capable  posterity, 
—  I'd  like  to  know  what  in  thunder  gratitude  really 
means." 

"  Oh,  there  isn't  such  a  thing  as  gratitude,"  she 
said.  "  Obligation,  yes, —  and  ingratitude  most  cer- 
tainly, but  gratitude, —  no.  You  are  in  a  position 
to  know  that  gratitude  doesn't  exist.  Are  you  for- 
getting the  private  advices  we  already  have  had  from 
Graustark?  Does  it  indicate  that  the  people  are 
grateful?  There  are  moments  when  I  fear  that  we 
are  actually  placing  Maud's  life  in  peril,  and  I  hare 
had  some  wretched  dreams.  They  do  not  want  her. 
They  speak  of  exile  for  the  Prince  if  he  marries  her. 
And  now  I  repeat  what  I  have  said  before:  —  the 
people  of  Graustark  must  have  an  opportunity  to  see 
and  become  acquainted  with  Maud  before  the  mar- 
riage is  definitely  arranged  I  will  not  have  mj 


THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER  269 

daughter  cast  into  a  den  of  lions,  Will, —  for  that 
is  what  it  may  amount  to.  The  people  will  adore  her. 
they  will  welcome  her  with  open  arms  if  they  are  given 
the  chance.  But  they  will  have  none  of  her  if  she 
is  forced  upon  them  in  the  way  you  propose." 

"  I'll  —  I'll  think  it  over,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  and 
then  discovered  that  his  cigar  had  gone  out.  "  I 
think  I'll  go  on  deck  and  smoke,  Lou.  Makes  it  stuffy 
in  here.  We'll  lunch  in  the  restaurant  at  half-past 
one,  eh  ?  " 

"  Think  hard,  Will,"  she  recommended,  with  a 
smile. 

"  I'll  do  that,"  he  said,  "  but  there's  nothing  on 
earth  that  can  alter  my  determination  to  make  Maud 
the  Princess  of  Groostork.  That's  settled." 

"Graustark,  Will." 

"  Well,  whatever  it  is,"  said  he,  and  departed. 

He  did  think  hard,  but  not  so  much  about  a  regal 
home  for  aged  people  as  about  Channie  Scoville  who 
had  now  become  a  positive  menace  to  all  of  his  well- 
ordered  and  costly  plans.  The  principal  subject  for 
thought  just  now  was  not  Graustark  but  this  conniv- 
ing young  gentleman  who  stood  ready  to  make  a  ter- 
rible mess  of  posterity.  Mr.  Blithers  was  sufficiently 
fair-minded  to  concede  that  the  fellow  was  good-look- 
ing, well-bred  and  clever,  just  the  sort  of  chap  that 
any  girl  might  fall  in  love  with  like  a  shot.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  he  once  had  admired  Scoville,  but  that 
was  before  he  came  to  look  upon  him  as  a  menace. 
He  would  make  a  capital  husband  for  any  girl  in  the 


270         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

world,  except  Maud.  He  could  say  that  much  for 
him,  without  reserve. 

He  thought  hard  until  half-past  one  and  then  went 
to  the  wireless  office,  where  he  wrote  out  a  message 
in  cipher  and  directed  the  operator  to  waste  no  time 
in  relaying  it  to  his  offices  in  Paris.  His  wife  was 
right.  It  would  be  the  height  of  folly  to  offer  Sco- 
ville  money  and  it  would  be  even  worse  to  inspire  the 
temporary  imprisonment  of  the  young  man. 

But  there  was  a  splendid  alternative.  He  could 
manage  to  have  his  own  daughter  abducted, —  chap- 
eron included, —  and  held  for  ransom ! 

The  more  he  thought  of  it  the  better  it  seemed  to 
him,  and  so  he  sent  a  cipher  message  that  was  destined 
to  throw  his  Paris  managers  into  a  state  of  agitation 
that  cannot  possibly  be  measured  by  words.  In  brief, 
he  instructed  them  to  engage  a  few  peaceable,  trust- 
worthy and  positively  respectable  gentlemen, —  he  was 
particularly  exacting  on  the  score  of  gentility, —  with 
orders  to  abduct  the  young  lady  and  hold  her  in  re- 
straint until  he  arrived  and  arranged  for  her  libera- 
tion !  They  were  to  do  the  deed  without  making  any 
fuss  about  it,  but  at  the  same  time  they  were  to  do  it 
effectually. 

He  had  the  foresight  to  suggest  that  the  job  should 
be  undertaken  by  the  very  detective  agency  he  had 
employed  to  shadow  young  Scoville  and  also  to  keep  an 
eye  on  Maud.  Naturally,  she  was  never  to  know  the 
truth  about  the  matter.  She  was  to  believe  that  her 
father  came  up  with  a  huge  sum  in  the  shape  of  ran- 


THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER          271 

som,  no  questions  asked.  He  also  remembered  in 
time  and  added  the  imperative  command  that  she  was 
to  be  confined  in  clean,  comfortable  quarters  and  given 
the  best  of  nourishment.  But,  above  all  else,  it  was 
to  be  managed  in  a  decidedly  realistic  way,  for  Maud 
was  a  keen-witted  creature  who  would  see  through  the 
smallest  crack  in  the  conspiracy  if  there  was  a  single 
false  movement  on  the  part  of  the  plotters.  It  is  also 
worthy  of  mention  that  Mrs.  Blithers  was  never  — 
decidedly  never  —  to  know  the  truth  about  the  matter. 

He  went  in  to  luncheon  in  a  very  amiable,  even  do- 
cile frame  of  mind. 

"  I've  thought  the  matter  over,  Lou,"  he  said,  "  and 
I  guess  you  are  right,  after  all.  We  will  make  all  the 
repairs  necessary,  but  we  won't  consider  living  in  it 
ourselves.  We'll  return  good  for  evil  and  live  in  a 
hotel  when  we  go  to  visit  the  i'oyal  family.  As 
for  — " 

"  I  meant  that  you  were  to  think  hard  before  at- 
tempting to  force  Maud  upon  Prince  Robin's  sub- 
jects without  preparing  them  for  the  — " 

"  I  thought  of  that,  too,"  he  interrupted  cheer- 
fully. "  I'm  not  going  to  cast  my  only  child  into  the 
den  of  lions,  so  that's  the  end  of  it.  Have  you  given 
the  order,  my  dear?  " 

"  No,"  she  said ;  "  for  I  knew  you  would  change 
it  when  you  came  in." 

Late  that  evening  he  had  a  reply  from  his  Paris 
managers.  They  inquired  if  he  was  responsible  for 
the  message  they  had  received.  It  was  a  ticklish  job 


272         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

and  they  wanted  to  be  sure  that  the  message  was  genu- 
ine. He  wired  back  that  he  was  the  sender  and  to  go 
ahead.  The  next  morning  they  notified  him  that  his 
instructions  would  be  carried  out  as  expeditiously  as 
possible. 

He  displayed  such  a  beaming  countenance  all  that 
day  that  his  wife  finally  demanded  an  explanation. 
It  wasn't  like  him  to  beam  when  he  was  worried  about 
anything,  and  she  wanted  to  know  what  had  come  over 
him. 

"  It's  the  sea-air,  Lou,'*  he  exclaimed  glibly.  "  Ik 
always  makes  me  feel  like  a  fighting-cock.  I  — " 

"  Rubbish !  You  detest  the  sea-air.  It  makes  you 
feel  like  fighting,  I  grant,  but  not  like  a  fighting- 
cock." 

"  There  you  go,  trying  to  tell  me  how  I  feel.  I've 
never  known  any  one  like  you,  Lou.  I  can't  say  a 
word  that — " 

"  Have  you  had  any  news  from  Maud?  "  she  broke 
in  suspiciously. 

"  Not  a  word,"  said  he. 

"What  have  you  done  to  Channie  Scoville?"  she 
questioned,  fixing  him  with  an  accusing  eye. 

"  Not  a  thing,"  said  he. 

"Then,  what  is  it?" 

"  You  won't  believe  me  if  I  tell  you,"  said  he 
warily. 

"  Yes,  I  will." 

"  No,  you  won't." 


273 

"  Tell  me  this  instant  why  you've  been  grinning  like 
fi,  Cheshire  cat  all  day." 

"  It's  the  sea-air,"  said  he,  and  then :  "  I  said  you 
[wouldn't  believe  me,  didn't  I  ?  " 

"Do  you  think  I'm  a  fool,  Will  Blithers?"  she 
flashed,  and  did  not  wait  for  an  answer.  He  chuckled 
to  himself  as  she  swept  imperiously  out  of  sight  around 
a  corner  of  the  deck-building. 

He  was  up  bright  and  early  the  next  morning,  tin- 
gling with  anticipation.  There  ought  to  be  word  from 
Paris  before  noon,  and  it  might  come  earlier.  He 
kept  pretty  close  to  the  wireless  operator's  office,  and 
was  particularly  attentive  to  the  spitting  crackle  of 
the  instrument. 

About  eleven  o'clock  an  incomprehensibly  long  mes- 
sage began  to  rattle  out  of  the  air.  He  contained 
himself  in  patience  for  the  matter  of  half  an  hour  or 
longer,  and  then,  as  the  clatter  continued  without 
cessation,  he  got  up  and  made  his  way  to  the  door  of 
the  operator's  office. 

"What  is  it?  The  history  of  England?"  he  de- 
manded sarcastically. 

"  Message  for  you,  Mr.  Blithers.  It's  a  long  one 
and  I'm  having  a  hard  time  picking  it  up.  Every- 
body seems  to  be  talking  at  once.  Do  you  want  the 
baseball  scores,  Mr.  Blithers?" 

"  Not  unless  they  come  in  cipher,"  said  Mr.  Blithers 
acidly. 

**  Some  of  'em  do.      Six  to  nothing  in  favor  of  the 


274        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

Giants,  two  to  nothing  —  Here  we  are  at  last.  I've 
picked  up  the  Mauretania  again.  She's  relay- 
ing." 

Mr.  Blithers  sat  down  on  the  steps  and  looked  at 
his  watch.  It  would  be  five  o'clock  in  Paris.  He 
wondered  if  they  were  giving  Maud  her  afternoon  tea,/ 
and  then  choked  up  with  a  sudden  pity  for  the  terri-* 
fied  captive.  It  was  all  he  could  do  to  keep  from 
jumping  up  and  ordering  the  operator  to  drop  every- 
thing and  take  a  message  countermanding  his  inhuman 
instructions  to  those  asses  in  Paris.  Tears  gushed 
from  his  eyes.  He  brushed  them  away  angrily  and 
tried  to  convince  himself  that  it  served  Maud  right  for 
being  so  obstinate.  Still  the  tears  came.  The 
corners  of  his  mouth  drooped  and  his  chin  began  to 
quiver.  It  was  too  much !  The  poor  child  was  — • 

But  just  then  the  operator  sat  back  with  a  sigh  of 
relief,  mopped  his  brow,  and  said: 

"  Good  thing  you're  a  rich  man,  Mr.  Blithers.  It 
came  collect  and — " 

"Never  mind,"  blurted  Mr.  Blithers.  "Hand  it 
over." 

There  were  four  sheets  of  writing  at  some  outland- 
ish price  per  word,  but  what  cared  he?  He  wanted 
to  get  back  to  his  stateroom  and  his  cipher  code  as 
quickly  —  but  his  eyes  almost  started  from  his  head 
as  he  took  in  the  name  at  the  bottom  of  the  message. 
It  was  "  Maud." 

He  did  not  require  the  cipher  book.  A  fourth 
reader  child  could  have  read  the  message  without  a 


THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER  275 

halt.  Maud  had  taken  his  request  literally.  He  had 
asked  her  to  send  him  a  nice  long  message,  but  he  did 
not  expect  her  to  make  a  four-page  letter  of  it.  She 
was  paying  him  out  with  a  vengeance ! 

He  took  the  precaution  to  read  it  before  handing  it 
over  to  his  wife,  to  whom  it  was  addressed  in  con- 
junction with  himself: 

"  Dear  father  and  mother,"  it  began  — (and  he 
looked  at  the  date  line  again  to  make  sure  it  was  from 
Paris) — "in  reply  to  your  esteemed  favour  of  the 
nineteenth,  or  possibly  the  twentieth,  I  beg  to  inform 
you  that  I  arrived  safely  in  Paris  as  per  schedule. 
Regarding  the  voyage,  it  was  delightful.  We  had  one 
or  two  rough  days.  The  rest  of  the  time  it  was  per- 
fectly heavenly.  I  met  two  or  three  interesting  and 
amusing  people  on  board  and  they  made  the  time  pass 
most  agreeably.  I  think  I  wired  you  that  I  had  a 
glimpse  of  a  certain  person.  On  my  arrival  in  Paris 
I  was  met  at  the  station  by  friends  and  taken  at  once 
to  the  small,  exclusive  hotel  where  they  are  stopping 
for  the  summer.  It  is  so  small  and  exclusive  that  I'm 
sure  you  have  never  heard  of  it.  I  may  as  well  tell 
you  that  I  have  seen  Channie, —  you  know  who  I  mean, 
—  Chandler  Scoville,  and  he  has  been  very  nice  to  me. 
Concerning  your  suggestion  that  I  reconsider  the 
statement  issued  to  the  press,  I  beg  to  state  that  I 
don't  see  any  sense  in  taking  the  world  into  my  confi- 
dence any  farther  than  it  has  been  taken  already,  if 
that  is  grammatically  correct.  I  have  also  sent  word 
to  a  certain  person  that  he  is  not  to  pay  any  attention 


276         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

to  the  report  that  we  are  likely  to  change  our  minds 
in  order  to  help  out  the  greedy  newspapers  who  dont 
appear  to  know  when  they  have  had  enough.  I  hope 
that  the  voyage  will  benefit  both  of  you  as  much  as  it 
did  me.  If  I  felt  any  better  than  I  do  now  I'd  call 
for  the  police  as  a  precaution.  Let  me  suggest  that 
you  try  the  chicken  a  la  Bombardier  in  the  Ritz  res- 
taurant. I  found  it  delicious.  I  daresay  they  serve 
it  as  nicely  on  your  ship  as  they  do  on  the  Jupiter. 
as  the  management  is  the  same.  Of  course  one  never 
can  tell  about  chefs.  My  plans  are  a  trifle  indefinite. 
I  may  leave  here  at  any  moment.  It  is  very  hot  and 
muggy  and  nearly  every  one  is  skipping  off  to  the 
mountains  or  seashore.  If  I  should  happen  to  be 
away  from  Paris  when  you  arrive  don't  worry  about 
me.  I  shall  be  all  right  and  in  safe  hands.  I  will  let 
you  know  where  I  am  just  as  soon  as  I  get  settled 
somewhere.  I  must  go  where  it  is  quiet  and  peaceful. 
I  am  so  distressed  over  what  has  occurred  that  I  don't 
feel  as  though  I  could  ever  be  seen  in  public  again 
without  a  thick  veil  and  a  pair  of  goggles.  I  have 
plenty  of  money  for  immediate  use,  but  you  might  de- 
posit something  to  my  credit  at  the  Credit  Lyonnais 
as  I  haven't  the  least  idea  how  long  I  shall  stay  over 
here.  Miranda  is  well  and  is  taking  good  care  of  me. 
She  seldom  lets  me  out  of  her  sight  if  that  is  any  com- 
fort to  you.  I  hope  you  will  forgive  the  brevity  of 
this  communication  and  believe  me  when  I  say  that 
it  is  not  lack  of  love  for  you  both  that  curtail* 
its  length  but  the  abominably  hot  weather.  With 


THE  PRODIGAL  DAUGHTER          277 

endless  love  from  your  devoted  daughter  —  Maud.'* 

The  tears  had  dried  in  Mr.  Blithers'  eyes  but  he 
wiped  them  time  and  again  as  he  read  this  amazing  let- 
ter,—  this  staggering  exhibition  of  prodigality.  He 
swore  a  little  at  first,  but  toward  the  end  even  that 
prerogative  failed  him.  He  set  out  in  quest  of  his 
wife.  Not  that  he  expected  her  to  say  any  more  than 
he  had  said,  but  that  he  wanted  her  to  see  at  a  glance 
what  kind  of  a  child  she  had  brought  into  the  world 
and  to  forever  hold  her  peace  in  future  when  he  under- 
took to  speak  his  mind. 

He  could  not  understand  why  his  wife  laughed  softly 
to  herself  as  she  read,  and  he  looked  on  in  simple  amaze- 
ment when  she  deliberately  undertook  to  count  the 
words.  She  counted  them  in  a  whisper  and  he  couldn't 
stand  it.  He  went  down  where  the  children  were 
shrieking  over  a  game  of  quoits  and  felt  singularly 
peaceful  and  undisturbed. 

It  was  nearly  bed-time  before  word  came  from  his 
managers  in  Paris.  Bed-time  had  no  meaning  for 
him  after  he  had  worked  out  the  message  by  the  code. 
It  is  true  that  he  observed  a  life-long  custom  and 
went  to  bed,  but  he  did  not  do  it  for  the  purpose  of 
going  to  sleep. 

"  Your  daughter  has  disappeared  from  Paris.  All 
efforts  to  locate  her  have  failed.  Friends  say  she  left 
ostensibly  for  the  Pyrenees  but  inquiries  at  stations  and 
along  line  fail  to  reveal  trace  of  her.  Scoville  still 
here  and  apparently  in  the  dark.  He  is  being 
watched.  Her  companion  and  maid  left  with  her  last 


278         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

night.     Prince  of  Graustark  and  party  left  for  Edel- 
weiss to-day." 

So  read  the  message  from  Paris, 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

A    WOBD    OF    ENCOURAGEMENT 

ONE  usually  has  breakfast  on  the  porch  of  the  Hotel 
Schweizerhof  at  Interlaken.  It  is  not  the  most  fash- 
ionable hostelry  in  the  quaint  little  town  at  the  head 
of  the  Lake  of  Thun,  but  it  is  of  an  excellent  char- 
acter, and  the  rolls  and  honey  to  be  had  with  one's 
breakfast  can  not  be  surpassed  in  the  Bernese  Ober- 
land.  Straight  ahead  lies  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
prospects  in  all  the  world:  an  unobstructed  view  of 
the  snow-thatched  Jungfrau,  miles  away,  gleaming 
white  and  jagged  against  an  azure  sky,  suggesting 
warmth  instead  of  chill,  grandeur  instead  of  terror. 
Looking  up  the  valley  one  might  be  led  to  say  that  an 
hour's  ramble  would  take  him  to  the  crest  of  that  shin- 
ing peak,  and  yet  some  men  have  made  a  life's  journey 
of  it.  Others  have  turned  back  in  time. 

One  has  a  whiff  of  fragrant  woodlands  and  serene 
hay-cocks,  a  breath  of  cool  air  from  the  Jungfrau's 
snows,  a  sniff  of  delectable  bacon  and  toast  —  and  a 
zest  for  breakfast.  And  one  sets  about  it  with  inter- 
est, with  the  breakfast  of  the  next  day  as  a  thing  to 
look  forward  to. 

R.  Schmidt  sat  facing  the  dejected  Boske  Dank. 
His  eyes  were  dancing  with  the  joy  of  living,  and  noth- 
ing better  can  be  said  of  a  man's  character  than  that 

279 


280         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

he  is  gay  and  happy  at  breakfast-time.  He  who 
wakes  up,  refreshed  and  buoyant,  and  eager  for  the 
day's  adventure,  is  indeed  a  child  of  nature.  He  will 
never  grow  old  and  crabbed ;  he  will  grip  the  hand  of 
death  when  the  time  comes  with  the  unconquered  zeal 
that  makes  the  grim  reaper  despise  himself  for  the 
advantage  he  takes  of  youth. 

"  Well,  here  we  are  and  in  spite  of  that,  where  are 
we  ?  "  said  Dank,  who  saw  nothing  beautiful  in  the 
smile  of  any  early  morn.  "  I  mean  to  say,  what  have 
we  to  show  for  our  pains?  We  sneak  into  this  God- 
forsaken hamlet,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  abomina- 
tions in  the  shape  of  tourists,  and  at  the  end  of  twenty- 
four  hours  we  discover  that  the  fair  Miss  Guile  has 
played  us  a  shabby  trick.  I  daresay  she  is  laugh- 
ing herself  sick  over  the  whole  business." 

"  Which  is  more  than  you  can  say  for  yourself, 
Boske,"  said  Robin  blithely.  "  Brace  up !  All  is 
not  lost.  We'll  wait  here  a  day  or  two  longer  and 
then  —  well,  I  don't  know  what  we'll  do  then." 

"  She  never  intended  to  come  here  at  all,"  said 
Dank,  filled  with  resentment.  "  It  was  a  trick  to  get 
rid  of  us.  She  — " 

"  Be  honest,  old  chap  and  say  that  it  was  a  trick  to 
get  rid  of  me.  Us  is  entirely  too  plural.  But  I 
haven't  lost  heart.  She'll  turn  up  yet." 

"  Count  Quinnox  is  in  despair  over  this  extraor- 
dinary whim  of  yours,  highness.  He  is  really  ill  in 
bed  this  morning.  I  — " 

"  I'll  run  up  and  see  him  after  breakfast,"  cried  the 


A  WORD  OF  ENCOURAGEMENT       281 

Prince,  genuinely  concerned.  "  I'm  sorry  he  is  tak- 
ing it  so  seriously." 

"  He  feels  that  we  should  be  at  home  instead  of 
dawdling  about  the  — " 

"  That  reminds  me,  Dank,"  broke  in  the  Prince, 
fresh  happiness  in  his  smile ;  "  I've  decided  that  home 
is  the  place  for  you  and  the  Count  —  and  Gourou  too. 
I'm  perfectly  able  to  take  care  of  myself, —  with  some 
assistance  from  Hobbs, —  and  I  don't  see  any  neces- 
sity for  you  three  to  remain  with  me  any  longer.  I'll 
tell  the  Count  that  you  all  may  start  for  Vienna  to- 
night. You  connect  with  the  Orient  express  at  — " 

"  Are  you  mad,  highness  ?  "  cried  Dank,  startled 
out  of  his  dejection.  "What  you  speak  of  is  impos- 
sible —  utterly  impossible.  We  cannot  leave  you. 
We  were  delegated  to  escort  you  — " 

"  I  understand  all  of  that  perfectly,  Dank,"  inter- 
rupted Robin,  suddenly  embarrassed,  "  but  don't  you 
see  how  infernally  awkward  it  will  be  for  me  if  Miss 
Guile  does  appear,  according  to  plan?  She  will  find 
me  body-guarded,  so  to  speak,  by  three  surly,  scowl- 
ing individuals  whose  presence  I  cannot  explain  to  save 
my  soul,  unless  I  tell  the  truth,  and  I'm  not  yet  ready 
to  do  that.  Can't  you  see  what  I  mean?  How  am  I 
to  explain  the  three  of  you  ?  A  hawk-eyed  triumvirate 
that  camps  on  my  trail  from  morn  till  night  and  re- 
fuses to  budge!  She'll  suspect  something,  old  fel- 
low, and  —  well,  I  certainly  will  feel  more  comfortable 
if  I'm  not  watched  for  the  next  few  days." 

"  That's  the  point,  highness.     You've  just  got  to_ 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

be  watched  for  the  next  few  days.  We  would  never 
dare  to  show  our  faces  in  Graustark  again  if  we  al- 
lowed anything  to  happen  to  you  while  you  are  under 
our  care.  You  are  a  sacred  charge.  We  must  re- 
turn you  to  Graustark  as  —  er  —  inviolate  as  when 
you  departed.  We  —  we  couldn't  think  of  subjecting 
you  to  the  peril  of  a  —  that  is  to  say,  it  might  prove 
fatal.  Graustark,  in  that  event,  would  be  justified 
in  hanging  two  of  her  foremost  citizens  and  yours 
truly  from  gibbets  designed  especially  for  the  black- 
est of  traitors." 

"  I  see,  Dank.  If  I  find  happiness,  you  are  almost 
sure  to  find  disgrace  and  death,  eh?  It  doesn't  seem 
a  fair  division,  does  it?  I  suppose  you  all  feel  that 
the  worst  thing  that  can  possibly  happen  is  for  me 
to  find  happiness." 

"  If  I  were  the  Prince  of  Graustark  I  should  first 
think  of  the  happiness  of  my  subjects.  I  would  not 
offend." 

"  Well  put,  Boske,  but  fortunately  you  are  not  the 
Prince.  I  sometimes  wish  that  you  were.  It  would 
relieve  me  of  a  tremendous  responsibility.  I  am  not 
mean  enough,  however,  to  wish  a  crown  upon  you,  old 
fellow.  You  are  lucky  to  be  who  and  what  you  are. 
No  one  cares  what  you  do,  so  long  as  you  are  hon- 
ourable about  it.  With  me  it  is  different.  I  have  to 
be  watched  day  and  night  in  order  to  be  kept  from 
doing  what  all  the  rest  of  the  world  looks  upon  as 
honourable." 


A  WORD  OF  ENCOURAGEMENT        283 

"  I  implore  you,  highness,  to  give  up  this  mad  enter- 
prise and  return  to  your  people  as  •• — " 

"  There  is  only  one  person  in  the  world  who  can, 
stop  me  now,  Dank." 

"  And  she  isn't  likely  to  do  so,  worse  luck,"  was 
the  other's  complaint. 

"  When  she  tells  me  to  go  about  my  business,  I'll 
go,  but  not  until  then.  Don't  you  like  honey,  Dank?  " 

"  No,"  said  Dank  savagely.  "  I  hate  it."  He 
leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  glowered  upon  the  inno- 
cent, placid  Jungfrau.  The  Prince  ate  in  silence. 
*'  May  I  be  permitted  a  question,  highness  ?  " 

"  All  you  like,  Boske.  You  are  my  best  friend.  Go 
ahead." 

"  Did  you  see  Miss  Guile  after  that  visit  to  St. 
Cloud  —  and  to  the  police  station  ?  " 

"  No,  Evidently  she  was  frightened  out  of  her 
boots  by  the  Hawkshaws.  I  don't  blame  her,  do  you?  " 

"  And  you've  had  no  word  from  her?  " 

'*  None.  Now  you  are  going  to  ask  what  reason 
I  have  for  believing  that  she  will  come  to  Interlaken. 
Well,  I  can't  answer  that  question.  I  think  she'll 
come,  that's  all." 

"  Do  you  think  she  is  in  love  with  you  ?  " 

'*  Ah,  my  dear  fellow,  you  are  asking  me  to  answer 
my  own  prayer,"  said  Robin,  without  a  sign  of  re- 
sentment in  his  manner.  "  I'm  praying  that  she  isn't 
altogether  indifferent.  By  the  way,  it  is  my  turn  to 
ask  questions.  Are  you  still  in  love  with  her?  " 


284        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  am  proud  to  say  that  you  are  more  in  my  prayers 
that  she,"  said  Dank,  with  a  profound  sigh.  "  Noth- 
ing could  please  me  more  than  to  be  the  one  to  save 
my  prince  from  disaster,  even  if  it  meant  the  sacri- 
fice of  self.  My  only  prayer  is  that  you  may  be 
spared,  sir,  and  I  taken  in  your  place." 

"  That  was  a  neat  answer,  'pon  my  soul,"  cried 
the  Prince  admiringly.  "  You  —  Hello,  who  is  this 
approaching?  It  is  no  other  than  the  great  Gourou 
himself,  the  king  of  sleuths,  as  they  say  in  the  books 
I  used  to  read.  Good  morning,  Baron." 

The  sharp-visaged  little  Minister  of  Police  came  up 
to  the  table  and  fixed  an  accusing  eye  upon  his 
sovereign, —  the  literal  truth,  for  he  had  the  other 
eye  closed  in  a  protracted  wink. 

"  I  regret  to  inform  your  majesty  that  the  enemy 
is  upon  us,"  he  said.  "  I  fear  that  our  retreat  is  cut 
off .  Nothing  remains  save  — " 

"  She  has  arrived?  "  cried  the  Prince  eagerly. 

"  She  has,"  said  the  Baron.  "  Bag  and  baggage, 
.and  armed  to  the  eyes.  Each  eye  is  a  gatling-gun, 
each  lip  a  lunette  behind  which  lies  an  unconquerable 
Region  of  smiles  and  rows  of  ivory  bayonets,  each  ear 
a  hardy  spy,  and  every  nut-brown  strand  a  covetous 
dastard  on  the  warpath  not  for  a  scalp  but  for  a 
crown.  Napoleon  was  never  so  well  prepared  for  bat- 
tle as  she,  nor  Troy  so  firmly  fortified.  Yes,  highness, 
the  foe  is  at  our  gates.  We  must  to  arms !  " 

"Where  is  she?  "  demanded  Robin,  unimpressed  by 
this  glowing  panegyric. 


A  WORD  OF  ENCOURAGEMENT       285 

"  At  this  instant,  sir,  I  fancy  she  is  rallying  her 
forces  in  the  very  face  of  A  helpless  mirror.  In  other 
words,  she  is  preparing  for  the  fray.  She  is  dress- 
ing." 

"  The  devil !     How  dare  you  pry  into  the  secret  — " 

"  Abhorrent  thought  1  I  deduce,  nothing  more. 
Her  maid  loses  herself  in  the  halls  while  attempting 
to  respond  to  the  call  for  re-inforcements.  She  ac- 
costs a  gentleman  of  whom  she  inquires  the  way. 
The  gentleman  informs  her  she  is  on  the  third,  not 
the  second  etage,  and  she  scurries  away  simpering,  but 
not  before  confiding  to  me  —  the  aforesaid  gentleman 
—  that  her  mistress  will  give  her  fits  for  being  late 
with  her  hair,  whatever  that  may  signify.  So,  you 
see,  I  do  not  stoop  to  keyholes  but  put  my  wits  to  work 
instead." 

"  When  did  she  arrive?  " 

"  She  came  last  night  via  Milan." 

"  From  Milan  ?  "  cried  Robin,  astonished. 

"  A  roundabout  way,  I'll  admit,"  said  the  Baron, 
drily,  "  and  tortuous  in  these  hot  days,  but  admirably 
suited  to  a  purpose.  I  should  say  that  she  was  bent 
on  throwing  some  one  off  the  track." 

"  And  yet  she  came ! "  cried  the  Prince,  in  exulta- 
tion. "  She  wanted  to  come,  after  all,  now  didn't  she, 
Dank?  "  He  gave  the  lieutenant  a  look  of  triumph. 

"  She  is  more  dangerous  than  I  thought,"  said  the 
guardsman  mournfully. 

"  Sit  down,  Raron,"  commanded  the  Prince.  "  I 
want  to  lay  down  the  law  to  all  of  you.  You  three 


286        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

will  have  to  move  on  to  Graustark  and  leave  me  to 
look  out  for  myself.  I  will  not  have  Miss  Guile  — " 

"  No ! "  exclaimed  the  Baron,  with  unusual  vehe- 
mence. "  I  expected  you  to  propose  something  of  the 
kind,  and  I  am  obliged  to  confess  to  you  that  we  havf 
discussed  the  contingency  in  advance.  We  will  not 
leave  you.  That  is  final.  You  may  depose  us,  exile 
us,  curse  us  or  anything  you  like,  but  still  we  shall 
remain  true  to  the  duty  we  owe  to  our  country.  We 
stay  here,  Prince  Robin,  just  so  long  as  you  are  con- 
tent to  remain." 

Robin's  face  was  very  red.  "  You  shame  me, 
Baron,"  he'  said  simply.  "  I  am  sorry  that  I  spoke 
as  I  did.  You  are  my  friends,  my  loyal  friends,  and  I 
would  have  humbled  you  in  the  eyes  of  my  people. 
I  beg  your  pardon,  and  yours,  Boske.  After  all,  I 
am  only  a  prince  and  a  prince  is  dependent  on  the 
loyalty  of  such  as  you.  I  take  back  all  that  I  said." 

The  Baron  laid  a  kindly  hand  on  the  young  man's 
shoulder.  "  I  was  rough,  highness,  in  my  speech  just 
now,  but  you  will  understand  that  I  was  moved  to  — " 

"  I  know,  Baron.  It  was  the  only  way  to  fetch  me 
up  sharp.  No  apology  is  required.  God  bless  you." 

"  Now  I  have  a  suggestion  of  my  own  to  offer,"  said 
the  Baron,  taking  a  seat  at  the  end  of  the  table.  "  I 
confess  that  Miss  Guile  may  not  be  favourably  im- 
pressed by  the  constant  attendance  of  three  able- 
bodied  nurses,  and,  as  she  happens  to  be  no  fool,  it 
is  reasonably  certain  that  she  will  grasp  the  signifi- 
cance of  our  assiduity.  Now  I  propose  that  the 


A  WORD  OF  ENCOURAGEMENT       287 

Count,  Dank  and  myself  efface  ourselves  as  completely 
as  possible  during  the  rest  of  our  enforced  stay  in 
Interlaken.  I  propose  that  we  take  quarters  in  an- 
other hotel  and  leave  you  and  Hobbs  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  the  enemy.  It  seems  to  me  that  — " 

"Good!"  cried  Robin.  "That's  the  ticket!  I 
quite  agree  to  that,  Baron." 

Dank  was  prepared  to  object  but  a  dark  look  from 
Gourou  silenced  him.  "  I've  talked  it  over  with  the 
Count  and  he  acquiesces,"  went  on  the  Baron.  "  We 
recognise  the  futility  of  trying  to  induce  you  to  leave 
at  once  for  Graustark,  and  we  are  now  content  to 
trust  Providence  to  watch  over  and  protect  you 
against  a  foe  whose  motives  may  in  time  become  trans- 
parent, even  to  the  blind." 

The  irony  in  the  remark  was  not  lost  on  Robin. 
He  flushed  angrily  but  held  his  tongue. 

Ten  o'clock  found  the  three  gentlemen, —  so  classi- 
fied by  Hobbs, —  out  of  the  Schweizerhof  and  arrang- 
ing for  accommodations  at  the  Regina  Hotel  Jung- 
fraublick,  perched  on  an  eminence  overlooking  the 
valley  and  some  distance  removed  from  the  temporary 
abode  of  the  Prince.  Their  departure  from  the  hotel  in 
the  Hoheweg  was  accomplished  without  detection  by 
Miss  Guile  or  her  friends,  and,  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses, Robin  was  alone  and  unattended  when  he  sat 
down  on  the  porch  near  the  telescope  to  await  the 
first  appearance  of  the  enchanting  foe.  He  was  some- 
what puzzled  by  the  strange  submissiveness  of  his 
companions.  Deep  down  in  his  mind  lurked  the  dis- 


288        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

quieting  suspicion  that  they  were  conniving  to  get  the 
better  of  the  lovely  temptress  by  some  sly  and  secret 
bit  of  strategy.  What  was  back  of  the  wily  Baron's 
motive?  Why  were  they  now  content  to  let  him  take 
the  bit  in  his  teeth  and  run  wherever  he  would? 
What  had  become  of  their  anxiety,  their  eagerness  to 
drag  him  off  to  Graustark  by  the  first  train?  There 
was  food  for  reflection  in  the  tranquil  capitulation  of 
the  defenders.  Were  they  acting  under  fresh  instruc- 
tions from  Edelweiss?  Had  the  Prime  Minister  di- 
rected them  to  put  no  further  obstacle  in  front  of  the 
great  Blithers  invasion?  Or  —  and  he  scowled 
darkly  at  the  thought  —  was  there  a  plan  afoot  to 
overcome  the  dangerous  Miss  Guile  by  means  more  sin- 
ister than  subtle? 

Enlightenment  came  unexpectedly  and  with  a  shock 
to  his  composure.  He  had  observed  the  three  spirited 
saddlehorses  near  the  entrance  of  the  hotel,  in  charge 
of  two  stable-boys,  but  had  regarded  them  only  as 
splendid  specimens  of  equine  aristocracy.  It  had  not 
entered  his  mind  to  look  upon  them  as  agents  of  de- 
spair. 

Two  people  emerged  from  the  door  and,  passing  by 
without  so  much  as  a  glance  in  his  direction,  made 
their  way  to  the  mounting  block.  Robin's  heart  went 
down  to  his  boots.  Bedelia,  a  graceful  figure  in  a 
smart  riding  habit,  was  laughing  blithely  over  a  soft- 
spoken  remark  that  her  companion  had  made  as  they 
were  crossing  the  porch.  And  that  companion  was 
no  other  than  the  tall,  good-looking  fellow  who  had 


met  her  at  Cherbourg!  The  Prince,  stunned  and  in- 
credulous, watched  them  mount  their  horses  and  canter 
away,  followed  by  a  groom  who  seemed  to  have  sprung 
up  from  nowhere. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Schmidt,*'  spoke  a  voice,  and, 
atill  bewildered,  he  whirled,  hat  in  hand,  to  confront 
Mrs.  Gaston.  "  Did  I  startle  you?" 

He  bowed  stiffly  over  the  hand  she  held  out  for  him 
to  clasp,  and  murmured  something  about  being  proof 
against  any  surprise.  The  colour  was  slowly  return- 
ing to  his  face,  and  his  smile  was  as  engaging  as  ever 
despite  the  bitterness  that  filled  his  soul.  Here  was 
a  pretty  trick  to  play  on  a  fellow !  Here  was  a  slap 
in  the  face! 

"  Isn't  it  a  glorious  morning?  And  how  wonder- 
ful she  is  in  this  gorgeous  sunlight,"  went  on  Mrs. 
Gaston,  in  what  may  be  described  as  a  hurried,  nerv- 
ous manner. 

"  I  had  the  briefest  glimpse  of  her,"  mumbled 
Robin.  "  When  did  she  come?  " 

"  Centuries  and  centuries  ago,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  said 
she,  with  a  smile.  "  I  was  speaking  of  the  Jung- 
frau." 

"  Oh !  "  he  exclaimed,  flushing.  "  I  thought  you  — 
er  —  yes,  of  course !  Really  quite  wonderful.  I  have 
heard  it  said  that  she  never  removes  her  night-cap, 
but  always  greets  the  dawn  in  spotless  —  ahem !  Of 
course  you  understand  that  I  am  speaking  of  the  Jung- 
frau,"  he  floundered. 

"  Naturally,  Mr.  Schmidt.     And  so  you  came,  after 


290        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

all.  We  were  afraid  you  might  have  concluded  to  alter 
your  plans.  Miss  Guile  will  be  delighted." 

He  appeared  grateful  for  the  promise.  "  I  hare 
been  here  for  three  days,  Mrs.  Gaston.  You  were  de- 
layed in  leaving  Paris  ?  " 

"  Yes,'*  she  said,  and  changed  the  subject.  "  The 
riding  is  quite  good,  I  understand.  They  are  off  for 
Lauterbrunnen." 

"  I  see,"  said  he.  "  There  is  a  splendid  inn  there, 
I  am  told." 

"  They  will  return  here  for  luncheon,  of  course," 
she  said,  raising  her  eyebrows  slightly.  His  heart  be- 
came a  trifle  lighter  at  this.  "  Mr.  White  is  a  life- 
long friend  and  acquaintance  of  the  family,"  she  volun- 
teered, apropos  of  nothing. 

"  Oh,  his  name  is  White  ?  "  with  a  quiet  laugh. 

"  If  you  have  nothing  better  to  do,  Mr.  Schmidt, 
why  not  come  with  me  to  the  Kursaal?  The  morning 
concert  will  begin  shortly,  and  I  — " 

"  I  think  you  will  find  that  the  band  plays  in  the 
square  across  the  way,  Mrs.  Gaston,  and  not  in  the  Ca- 
sino. At  least,  that  has  been  the  programme  for  the 
last  two  mornings." 

"  Nevertheless,  there  is  a  concert  at  the  Casino  to- 
,  day,"  she  informed  him.  "  Will  you  come  ?  " 

"  Gladly,"  he  replied,  and  they  set  off  for  the  Kur- 
saal. He  found  seats  in  the  half-empty  pavillion  and 
prepared  to  listen  to  the  music,  although  his  real  in- 
terest was  following  the  narrow  highway  to  Lauter- 
brunnen —  and  the  Staubbach. 


A  WORD  OF  ENCOURAGEMENT       291 

"  This  is  to  be  a  special  concert  given  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  Grand  Duke  who,  I  hear,  is  leaving  this 
afternoon  for  Berne." 

"  The  Grand  Duke?  I  was  not  aware  of  the  pres- 
ence of  royalty,"  said  he  in  surprise. 

"  No?  He  has  been  here  for  three  days,  but  at  an- 
other hotel.  The  Grand  Duke  Paulus  and  his  family, 
you  know." 

Robin  shot  a  swift,  apprehensive  glance  about  the 
big  enclosure,  sweeping  the  raised  circle  from  end  to 
end.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  pavillion  he  dis- 
covered the  space  reserved  for  the  distinguished  party. 
Although  he  was  far  removed  from  that  section  he 
sank  deeper  into  his  chair  and  found  one  pretext  after 
another  to  screen  his  face  from  view.  He  did  know 
the  Grand  Duke  Paulus  and  the  Grand  Duke  knew 
him,  which  was  even  more  to  the  point. 

The  Prince  of  Graustark  had  been  a  prime  fav- 
ourite of  the  great  man  since  his  knickerbocker  days. 
Twice  as  a  boy  he  had  visited  in  the  ducal  palace,  far 
distant  from  Graustark,  and  at  the  time  of  his  own 
coronation  the  Grand  Duke  and  his  sons  had  come  to 
the  castle  in  Edelweiss  for  a  full  month's  stay.  They 
knew  him  well  and  they  would  recognise  him  at  a 
glance.  At  this  particular  time  the  last  thing  on 
earth  that  he  desired  was  to  be  hailed  as  a  royal 
prince. 

Never,  in  all  his  life,  had  he  known  the  sun  to 
penetrate  so  brightly  into  shadows  as  it  did  to-day. 
He  felt  that  he  was  sitting  in  a  perfect  glare  of  light 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

and  that  every  feature  of  his  face  was  clear  to  the 
most  distant  observer. 

He  was  on  the  point  of  making  an  excuse  to  leave 
the  place  when  the  ducal  party  came  sauntering  down 
the  aisle  on  their  way  to  the  reserved  section.  Every 
one  stood  up,  the  band  played,  the  Grand  Duke  bowed 
to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  and  escape  was  cut  off. 
Robin  could  only  stand  with  averted  face  and  direct 
mild  execrations  at  the  sunlight  that  had  seemed  so 
glorious  at  breakfast-time. 

"  He  is  a  splendid-looking  man,  isn't  he  ?  "  Mrs. 
Gaston  was  saying.  She  was  gazing  in  rapt  admira- 
tion upon  the  royal  group. 

"  He  is,  indeed,"  said  Robin,  resolutely  scanning  a 
programme,  which  he  continued  to  hold  before  his  face. 
When  he  sat  down  again,  it  was  with  his  back  to  the 
band.  "  I  don't  like  to  watch  the  conductors,"  he  ex- 
plained. "  They  do  such  foolish  things,  you  know." 

Mrs.  Gaston  was  eyeing  him  curiously.  He  was  bit- 
terly conscious  of  a  crimson  cheek.  In  silence  they 
listened  to  the  first  number.  While  the  applause  was 
at  its  height,  Mrs.  Gaston  leaned  forward  and  said 
to  him: 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  not  enjoying  the  music,  Mr. 
Schmidt.  What  is  on  your  mind?  " 

He  started.  "I  —  I  —  really,  Mrs.  Gaston,  I  am 
enjoying  it.  I — " 

"  Your  mind  has  gone  horse-back  riding,  I  fear. 
At  present  it  is  between  here  and  Lauterbrunnen,  jog- 
ging beside  that  roaring  little  torrent  that  — " 


A  WORD  OF  ENCOURAGEMENT       293 

"  I  don't  mind  confessing  that  you  are  quite  right," 
said  he  frankly.  "  And  I  may  add  that  the  music 
makes  me  so  blue  that  I'd  like  to  jump  into  that  roar- 
ing torrent  and  —  and  swim  out  again,  I  suppose,"  he 
concluded,  with  a  sheepish  grin. 

"  You  are  in  love." 

"  I  am,"  he  confessed. 

She  laid  her  hand  upon  his.  Her  eyes  were  wide 
with  eagerness.  "  Would  it  drive  away  the  blues  if  I 
were  to  tell  you  that  you  have  a  chance  to  win  her?  " 

He  felt  his  head  spinning.  "  If  —  if  I  could  believe 
that  —  that  — "  he  began,  and  choked  up  with  the 
rush  of  emotion  that  swept  through  him. 

"  She  is  a  strange  girl.  She  will  marry  for  love 
alone.  Her  father  is  determined  that  she  shall  marry 
a  royal  prince.  That  much  I  may  confess  to  you. 
She  has  defied  her  father,  Mr.  Schmidt.  She  will 
marry  for  love,  and  I  believe  it  is  in  your  power  to 
awaken  love  in  that  adorable  heart  of  hers.  You  — " 

"  For  God's  sake,  Mrs.  Gaston,  tell  me  —  tell  me, 
has  she  breathed  a  word  to  you  that — " 

"  Not  a  single  word.  But  I  know  her  well.  I  have 
known  her  since  she  was  a  baby,  and  I  can  read  the 
soul  that  looks  out  through  those  lovely  eyes.  Know- 
ing her  so  well,  I  may  say  to  you  —  oh,  it  must  be  in 
the  strictest  confidence!  —  that  you  have  a  chance. 
And  if  you  win  her  love,  you  will  have  the  greatest 
treasure  in  all  the  world.  She  —  but,  look!  The 
Grand  Duke  is  leaving.  He  — " 

"  I  don't  care  what  becomes  of  the  Grand  Duke," 


294        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

he  burst  out.     "  Tell  me  more.     Tell  me  how 
look  into  her  soul,  and  tell  me  what  you  see  — " 

"  Not  now,  sir.  I  have  said  enough.  I  have  given 
you  the  sign  of  hope.  It  remains  with  you  to  make 
the  most  of  it." 

"  But  you  ^—  you  don't  know  anything  about  me. 
I  may  be  the  veriest  adventurer,  the  most  unworthy  of 
all—" 

"  I  think,  Mr.  Schmidt,  that  I  know  you  pretty 
well.  I  do  not  require  the  aid  of  Diogenes'  lantern 
to  see  an  honest  man.  I  am  responsible  for  her  wel- 
fare. She  has  been  placed  under  my  protection.  For 
twenty  years  I  have  adored  her.  I  am  not  likely  to 
encourage  an  adventurer." 

"  I  must  be  honest  with  you,  Mrs.  Gaston,"  he  said 
suddenly.  "  I  am  not  — " 

She  held  up  her  hand.  "  Mr.  Totten  has  informed 
me  that  you  are  a  life-long  friend  of  Mrs.  Truxton 
King.  I  cabled  to  her  from  Paris.  There  is  no  more 
to  be  said." 

His  face  fell.     "Did  she  tell  you  —  everything?'* 

"She  said  no  more  than. that  R.  Schmidt  is  the 
finest  boy  in  all  the  world."  Suddenly  her  face  paled. 
"  You  are  never  —  never  to  breathe  a  word  of  this  to 
—  to  Bedelia,"  she  whispered. 

"  But  her  father?     What  will  he  say  to  — " 

"  Her  father  has  said  all  that  can  be  said,"  she 
broke  in  quietly.  "  He  cannot  force  her  to  marry  the 
man  he  has  selected.  She  will  marry  the  man  she 


A  WORD  OF  ENCOURAGEMENT       295 

loves.  Come  now!  Let  us  go.  I  am  tired  of  the 
music." 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you,  Mrs.  Gaston,"  he  cried, 
with  shining  eyes.  "  God  bless  you !  " 

She  gave  him  a  queer  look.  "  You  must  not  think 
that  your  task  is  an  easy  one,"  she  said  meaningly. 
*'  There  are  other  men  in  the  world,  you  know." 


CHAPTER    XIX 

"  WHAT    WELL   MY    PEOPLE    DO  I  " 

THE  Grand  Duke  and  his  party  left  Interlaken  by 
special  train  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  great  was 
Robin's  relief  when  Hobbs  returned  with  the  word 
that  they  were  safely  on  their  way  to  the  capital  of 
Switzerland.  He  emerged  from  the  seclusion  of  his 
room,  where  he  had  been  in  hiding  since  noon,  and  set 
out  for  a  walk  through  the  town.  His  head  was  high 
and  his  stride  jaunty,  for  his  heart  was  like  a  cork. 
People  stared  after  him  with  smiles  of  admiration, 
and  never  a  cocker*  passed  him  by  without  a  genial, 
inviting  tilt  of  the  eyebrow  and  a  tentative  pull  at  the 
reins,  only  to  meet  with  a  pleasant  shake  of  the  head! 
or  the  negative  flourish  of  a  bamboo  cane. 

Night  came  and  with  it  the  silvery  glow  of  moon- 
light across  the  hoary  headed  queen  of  the  Oberland. 
When  Robin  came  out  from  dinner  he  seated  himself 
on  the  porch,  expectant,  eager  —  and  vastly  lonesome. 
An  unaccountable  shyness  afflicted  him,  rendering  him 
quite  incapable  of  sending  his  card  up  to  the  one 
who  could  have  dispelled  the  gathering  gloom  with  a 
single  glance  of  the  eye.  Would  she  come  stealing  out 
ostensibly  to  look  at  the  night-capped  peak,  but  with 
furtive  glances  into  the  shadows  of  the  porch  in  quest 

of  —  But  no!     She  would  not  do  that!     She  would 

296 


"WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  DO!"      397* 

come  attended  by  the  exasperating  Mr.  White  and 
the  friendly  duenna.  Her  starry  eyes,  directed  else- 
where, would  only  serve  to  increase  the  depth  of  the 
shadows  in  which  he  lurked  impatient. 

She  came  at  last  —  and  alone.  Stopping  at  the  rail 
not  more  than  an  arm's  length  from  where  he  sat,  she 
gazed  pensively  up  at  the  solemn  mistress  of  the  val- 
ley, one  slim  hand  at  her  bosom,  the  other  hanging 
limp  at  her  side.  He  could  have  touched  that  slender 
hand  by  merely  stretching  forth  his  own.  Breath- 
less, enthralled,  he  sat  as  one  deprived  of  the  power 
or  even  the  wish  to  move.  The  spell  was  upon  him; 
he  was  in  thralldom. 

She  wore  a  rose-coloured  gown,  soft,  slinky,  seduc- , 
tive.     A   light  Egyptian   scarf  lay   across   her  bare; 
shoulders.     The  slim,  white  neck  and  the  soft  dark 
hair  —  but  she  sighed !     He  heard  that  faint,  quick-  \ 
drawn  sigh  and  started  to  his  feet. 

"  Bedelia !  "  he  whispered  softly. 

She  turned  quickly,  to  find  him  standing  beside  her, 
his  face  aglow  with  rapture.  A  quick  catch  of  the, 
breath,  a  sudden  movement  of  the  hand  that  lay  uponj 
her  breast,  and  then  she  smiled, —  a  wavering,  uncer- 
tain smile  that  went  straight  to  his  heart  and  shamed 
him  for  startling  her.  "  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  be- 
gan lamely.  "I  —  I  startled  you." 

She  held  out  her  hand  to  him,  still  smiling.  "  I 
fear  I  shall  never  become  accustomed  to  being  pur- 
sued," she  said,  striving  for  command  of  her  voice, 
"  It  is  dreadful  to  feel  that  some  one  is  forever  watch- 


898        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

ing  you  from  behind.  I  am  glad  it  is  you,  however. 
You  at  least  are  not  *  the  secret  eye  that  never 
sleeps  ' !  "  She  gently  withdrew  her  hand  from  his  ar- 
dent clasp.  "  Mrs.  Gaston  told  me  that  she  had  seen 
you.  I  feared  that  you  might  have  gone  on  your  way 
rejoicing." 

"  Rejoicing?  "  he  cried.     "  Why  do  you  say  that?  '* 

"  After  our  experience  in  Paris,  I  should  think  that 
you  had  had  enough  of  me  and  my  faithful  watch- 
dogs." 

"  Rubbish ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  shall  never  have 
enough  of  you,"  he  went  on,  with  sudden  boldness. 
"  As  for  the  watch-dogs,  they  are  not  likely  to  bite 
us,  so  what  is  there  to  be  afraid  of?  " 

"  Have  you  succeeded  in  evading  the  watchful  eye 
(t>f  Mr.  Totten's  friend?  "  she  enquired,  sending  an  ap- 
prehensive glance  along  the  porch, 

"  Completely,"  he  declared.  "  I  am  quite  alone  in 
this  hotel  and,  I  believe,  unsuspected.  And  you? 
&re  you  still  being — " 

"  Sh !  Who  knows  ?  I  think  we  have  thrown  them 
off  the  track,  but  one  cannot  be  sure.  I  raised  a 
3readful  rumpus  about  it  in  Paris,  and  —  well,  they 
said  they  were  sorry  and  advised  me  not  to  be  worried, 
for  the  surveillance  would  cease  at  once.  Still,  I  am 
quite  sure  that  they  lied  to  me." 

"  Then  you  are  being  followed." 

She  smiled  again,  and  there  was  mischief  in  her 
eyes.  "  If  so,  I  have  led  them  a  merry  chase.  We 
have  been  travelling  for  two  days  and  nights,  Mr. 


"WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  DO!"      299 

Schmidt,  by  train  and  motor,  getting  off  at  stations 
unexpectedly,  hopping  into  trains  going  in  any  direc- 
tion but  the  right  one,  sleeping  in  strange  beds  and 
doing  all  manner  of  queer  things.  And  here  we  are 
at  last.  I  am  sure  you  must  look  upon  me  as  a  very; 
silly,  flibberty-gibbet  creature." 

"  I  see  that  your  retinue  has  been  substantially  aug- 
mented," he  remarked,  a  trace  of  jealousy  in  his 
voice.  "  The  good-looking  Mr.  White  has  not  been 
eluded." 

"Mr.  White?  Oh,  yes,  I  see.  But  he  is  to  be 
trusted,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said  mysteriously  —  and 
tantalisingly.  "  He  will  not  betray  me  to  my  cruel 
monster  of  a  father.  I  have  his  solemn  promise  not 
to  reveal  my  whereabouts  to  any  one.  My  father  is 
the  last  person  in  the  world  to  whom  he  would  go  with 
reports  of  my  misdoings." 

"  I  saw  you  this  morning,  riding  with  him,"  sai<| 
he  glumly. 

"  Through  the  telescope?  "  she  inquired  softly,  lay- 
ing a  hand  upon  the  stationary  instrument. 

He  flushed  hotly.  "  It  was  when  you  were  starting, 
out,  Miss  Guile.  I  am  not  one  of  the  spies,  you 
should  remember." 

"  You  are  my  partner  in  guilt,"  she  said  lightly. 
"  By  the  way,  have  you  forgiven  me  for  leading  you 
into  temptation  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  I  am  still  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  you 
see,  and  as  I  don't  take  any  stock  in  the  book  of  Gene- 
sis, I  hope  to  prove  to  myself  at  least,  that  the  COD- 


300        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

duct  of  an  illustrious  forebear  of  mine  was  not  dufc 
to  the  frailties  of  Eve  but  to  his  own  tremendous  anx- 
iety to  get  out  of  a  place  that  was  filled  with  snakes. 
I  hope  and  pray  that  you  will  continue  to  put  tempta- 
tion in  my  path  so  that  I  may  have  the  frequent  pleas- 
ure of  falling." 

She  turned  her  face  away  and  for  a  moment  was 
silent.  "  Shall  we  take  those  chairs  over  there,  Mr. 
Schmidt?  They  appear  to  be  as  abandoned  as  we." 
She  indicated  two  chairs  near  the  broad  portals. 

He  shook  his  head.  "  If  we  are  looking  for  the  most 
utterly  abandoned,  allow  me  to  call  your  attention  to 
the  two  in  yonder  corner." 

"  It  is  quite  dark  over  there,"  she  said  with  a  frown. 

"  Quite,"  he  agreed.  "  Which  accounts,  no  doubt, 
for  your  failure  to  see  them." 

"  Mrs.  Gaston  will  be  looking  for  me  before  — "  she 
began  hesitatingly. 

"  Or  Mr.  White,  perhaps.  Let  me  remind  you  that 
they  have  exceedingly  sharp  eyes." 

"  Mr.  White  is  no  longer  here,"  she  announced. 

His  heart  leaped.  "  Then  I,  at  least,  have  noth- 
ing to  fear,"  he  said  quickly. 

She  ignored  the  banality.  "  He  left  this  afternoon. 
Very  well,  let  us  take  the  seats  over  there.  I  rather 
like  the  —  shall  I  say  shadows  ?  " 

"  I  too  object  to  the  limelight, —  Bedelia,"  he  said, 
offering  her  his  arm. 

"  You  are  not  to  call  me  Bedelia,"  she  said,  holding 
back. 


"  WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  DO !  "      301 

"  Then  *  forgive  us  our  transgressions  '  is  to  be  ap- 
plied in  the  usual  order,  I  presume." 

"Are  you  sorry  you  called  me  Bedelia?"  she  in- 
sisted, frowning  ominously. 

"  No.     I'm  sorry  you  object,  that's  all." 

They  made  their  way  through  a  maze  of  chairs  and 
seated  themselves  in  the  dim  corner.  Their  view  of  the 
Jungfrau  from  this  vine-screened  corner  was  not  as 
perfect  as  it  might  have  been,  but  the  Jungfrau  had  no 
present  power  of  allurement  for  them. 

"  I  cannot  stay  very  long,"  she  said  as  she  sank  back 
in  the  comfortable  chair. 

He  turned  his  back  not  only  upon  the  occupants  of 
the  porch  but  the  lustrous  Jungfrau,  drawing  his  chair 
up  quite  close  to  hers.  As  he  leaned  forward,  with 
his  elbows  on  the  arms  of  the  chair,  she  seemed  to 
slink  farther  back  in  the  depths  of  hers,  as  if  sud- 
denly afraid  of  him. 

"  Now,  tell  me  everything,"  he  said.     "  From  be- 
ginning to  end.     What  became  of  you  after  that  day 
at  St.  Cloud,  whither  have  you  journeyed,  and  where-4 
fore  were  you  so  bent  on  coming  to  this  now  blessed 
Interlaken?  " 

"  Easily  answered.  Nothing  at  all  became  of  me. 
I  journeyed  thither,  and  I  came  because  I  had  set  my 
heart  on  seeing  the  Jungfrau." 

"  But  you  had  seen  it  many  times." 

"And  I  hoped  that  I  might  find  peace  and  quiet 
here,"  she  added  quite  distinctly. 

"  You  expected  to  find  me  here,  didn't  you  ?  " 


302         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Yes,  but  I  did  not  regard  you  as  a  disturber  of 
the  peace." 

"  You  knew  I  would  come,  but  you  didn't  know  why, 
did  you,  Bedelia?  "  He  leaned  a  little  closer. 

"  Yes,  I  knew  why,"  she  said  calmly,  emotionlessly. 
He  drew  back  instantly,  chilled  by  her  directness. 
"You  came  because  there  was  promise  of  an  inter- 
esting adventure,  which  you  now  are  on  the  point  of 
making  impossible  by  a  rather  rash  exhibition  of 
haste." 

He  stared  at  her  shadowy  face  in  utter  confusion. 
For  a  moment  he  was  speechless.  Then  a  rush  of  pro- 
testing sincerity  surged  up  within  him  and  he  cried 
out  in  low,  intense  tones :  "  I  cannot  allow  you  to 
think  that  of  me,  Miss  Guile.  If  I  have  done  or  said 
anything  to  lead  you  to  believe  that  I  am  — " 

"  Oh,  I  beg  of  you,  Mr.  Schmidt,  do  not  enlarge 
upon  the  matter  by  trying  to  apologise,"  she  cried. 

"  I  am  not  trying  to  apologise,"  he  protested.  "  I 
am  trying  to  justify  what  you  are  pleased  to  call  an 
exhibition  of  haste.  You  see,  it's  just  this  way:  I 
am  obliged  to  make  hay  while  the  sun  shines,  for  soon 
I  may  be  cast  into  utter  darkness.  My  days  are 
numbered.  In  a  fortnight  I  shall  be  where  I  cannot 
call  my  soul  my  own.  I  — " 

"  You  alarm  me.     Are  you  to  be  sent  to  prison?  " 

"  You  wouldn't  look  upon  it  as  a  prison,  but  it 
seems  like  one  to  me.  Do  not  laugh.  I  cannot  ex- 
plain to  you  now.  Another  day  I  shall  tell  you  every- 
thing, so  pray  take  me  for  what  I  am  to-day,  and  ask 


"WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  DO!"      303 

no  questions.  I  have  asked  no  more  of  you,  so  do  you 
be  equally  generous  with  me." 

"  True,"  she  said,  "  you  have  asked  no  questions  of 
me.  You  take  me  for  what  I  am  to-day,  and  yet  you 
know  nothing  of  my  yesterdays  or  my  to-morrows.  It 
is  only  fair  that  I  should  be  equally  confiding.  Let 
there  be  no  more  questions.  Are  we,  however,  to  take 
each  other  seriously  ?  " 

*'  By  all  means,"  he  cried.  "  There  will  come  a  day 
when  you  may  appreciate  the  full  extent  of  my  se- 
riousness." 

"  You  speak  in  riddles." 

"  Is  the  time  ripe  for  me  to  speak  in  sober  earnest?  '* 
he  questioned  softly.  She  drew  back  again  in  swift 
alarm. 

"  No,  no !  Not  now  —  not  yet.  Do  not  say  any- 
thing now,  Mr.  Schmidt,  that  may  put  an  end  to  our 
—  to  our  adventure." 

She  was  so  serious,  so  plaintive,  and  yet  so  shyly 
prophetic  of  comfort  yet  to  be  attained,  that  his  heart 
warmed  with  a  mighty  glow  of  exaltation.  A  sweet 
feeling  of  tenderness  swept  over  him. 

"  If  God  is  good,  there  can  be  but  one  end  to  our 
adventure,"  he  said,  and  then,  for  some  mysterious 
reason,  silence  fell  between  them.  Long  afterward  — • 
it  seemed  hours  to  him !  —  she  spoke,  and  her  voice 
was  low  and  troubled. 

"  Can  you  guess  why  I  am  being  watched  so  care- 
fully, why  I  am  being  followed  so  doggedly  by  men 
who  serve  not  me  but  another?  " 


804         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARR 

"  Yes.  It  is  because  you  are  the  greatest  jewel  in, 
the  possession  of  a  great  man,  and  he  would  preserve 
you  against  all  varlets, —  such  as  I." 

She  did  not  reveal  surprise  at  his  shrewd  conjec- 
ture. She  nodded  her  head  and  sighed. 

"  You  are  right.  I  am  his  greatest  jewel,  and  yet 
he  would  give  me  into  the  keeping  of  an  utter  stranger. 
I  am  being  protected  against  that  conscienceless  var- 
let  —  Love !  If  love  lays  hands  upon  me  —  ah,  my 
friend,  you  cannot  possibly  guess  what  a  calamity  that 
would  be ! " 

"  And  love  will  lay  hands  upon  you,  Bedelia, — " 

"  I  am  sure  of  that,"  she  said,  once  more  serene  mis- 
tress of  herself  after  a  peculiarly  dangerous  lapse. 
"  That  is  why  I  shudder.  What  could  be  more  dread- 
ful than  to  fall  into  the  clutches  of  that  merciless  foe 
to  peace  ?  He  rends  one's  heart  into  shreds ;  he  stabs 
in  the  dark ;  he  thrusts,  cuts  and  slashes  and  the  wounds 
never  heal ;  he  blinds  without  pity ;  he  is  overbearing, 
domineering,  ruthless  and  his  victims  are  powerless 
to  retaliate.  Love  is  the  greatest  tyrant  in  all  the 
world,  Mr.  Schmidt,  and  we  poor  wretches  can  never 
hope  to  conquer  him.  We  are  his  prey,  and  he  is 
rapacious.  Do  you  not  shudder  also?  " 

"  Bless  you,  no!  I'd  rather  enjoy  meeting  him  in 
mortal  combat.  My  notion  of  bliss  would  be  a  fight 
to  the  death  with  love,  for  then  the  conflict  would  not 
be  one-sided.  What  could  be  more  glorious  than  to 
stand  face  to  face  with  love,  hand  to  hand,  breast  to 
breast,  lip  to  lip  until  the  end  of  time?  Let  him  cut 


"WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  DO!"      305 

and  slash  and  stab  if  you  will,  there  would  still  be 
recompense  for  the  vanquished.  Even  those  who  have 
suffered  most  in  the  conflict  with  love  must  admit  that 
they  have  had  a  share  in  the  spoils.  One  can't  ignore 
the  sweet  hours  when  counting  up  the  bitter  ones, 
after  love  has  withdrawn  from  the  tender  encounter. 
The  cuts  and  slashes  are  cherished  and  memory 
is  a  store-house  for  the  spoils  that  must  be  shared 
with  vanity." 

"  It  sounds  like  a  book.  Who  is  your  favourite 
author?  "  she  inquired  lightly. 

"  Baedeker,"  he  replied,  with  promptness.  "  With- 
out my  Baedeker,  I  should  never  have  chanced  upon 
the  route  travelled  by  love,  nor  the  hotel  where  I  now 
lodge  in  close  proximity  to  — " 

"  Will  you  please  be  sensible  ?  " 

"  You  invite  something  to  the  contrary,  Bedelia," 
he  ventured. 

"  Haven't  I  requested  you  to  — " 

"  I  think  of  you  only  as  Bedelia,"  he  made  haste 
to  explain.  "  Bedelia  will  stick  to  you  forever,  yeu 
see,  while  Miss  Guile  is  almost  ephemeral.  It  can- 
not live  long,  you  know,  with  so  many  other  names 
eager  to  take  its  place.  But  Bedelia  —  ah,  Bedelia 
is  everlasting." 

She  laughed  joyously,  naturally.  "  You  really  are 
quite  wonderful,  Mr.  Schmidt.  Still  I  must  change  the 
subject.  I  trust  the  change  will  not  affect  your  glib- 
ness,  for  it  is  quite  exhilarating.  How  long  do  you 
purpose  remaining  in  Interlaken?  " 


306         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"That  isn't  changing  the  subject,"  said  he.  "I 
shall  be  here  for  a  week  or  ten  days  —  or  perhaps 
longer."  He  put  it  in  the  form  of  a  question,  after 
all. 

"  Indeed?  How  I  envy  you.  I  am  sorry  to  say  I 
shall  have  to  leave  in  a  day  or  two." 

His  face  fell.  "  Why  ?  "  he  demanded,  almost  in- 
dignantly. 

"  Because  I  am  enjoying  myself,"  she  replied. 

"  I  don't  quite  get  your  meaning." 

"  I  am  having  such  a  good  time  disobeying  my 
father,  Mr.  Schmidt,  and  eluding  pursuers.  It  is 
only  a  matter  of  a  day  or  two  before  I  am  discovered 
here,  so  I  mean  to  keep  on  dodging.  It  is  splendid 
fun." 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  quite  fair  to  me?  " 

"  Did  I  induce  you  to  come  here,  good  sir?  " 

"  You  did,"  said  he,  with  conviction.  "  Heaven  is 
my  witness.  I  would  not  have  come  but  for  you.  I 
am  due  at  home  by  this  time." 

"  Are  you  under  any  obligations  to  remain  in  Inter- 
laken  for  a  week  or  ten  days?  " 

"  Not  now,"  he  replied.  "  Do  you  mind  telling  me 
where  you  are  going  to,  Miss  Guile  ?  " 

"  First  to  Vienna,  then  —  well,  you  cannot  guess 
where.  I  have  decided  to  go  to  Edelweiss." 

"  Edelweiss ! "  he  exclaimed  in  astonishment.  He 
could  hardly  believe  his  ears. 

"  It  is  the  very  last  place  in  the  world  that  my  father 
would  think  of  looking  for  me.  Besides  I  am  curious 


"  WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  DO ! "      307 

to  see  the  place.  I  understand  that  the  great  Mr. 
Blithers  is  to  be  there  soon,  and  the  stupid  Prince 
who  will  not  be  tempted  by  millions,  and  it  is  even 
possible  that  the  extraordinary  Miss  Blithers  may 
take  it  into  her  head  to  look  the  place  over  before 
definitely  refusing  to  be  its  Princess.  I  may  find  some 
amusement  —  or  entertainment  as  an  on-looker  when 
the  riots  begin." 

He  was  staring  at  her  wide-eyed  and  incredulous. 
66  Do  you  really  mean  to  say  you  are  going  to  Graus- 
tark?" 

"  I  have  thought  of  doing  so.  Don't  you  think  it 
will  be  amusing  to  be  on  the  scene  when  the  grand 
climax  occurs?  Of  course,  the  Prince  will  come  off 
his  high  horse,  and  the  girl  will  see  the  folly  of  her 
ways,  and  old  Mr.  Blithers  will  run  rough  shod  over 
everybody,  and  —  but,  goodness,  I  can't  even  specu- 
late on  the  possibilities." 

He  was  silent.  So  this  was  the  way  the  wind  blew, 
eh?  There  was  but  one  construction  to  be  put  upon 
her  decision  to  visit  the  Capital  of  Graustark.  She 
had  taken  it  into  her  head  "  to  look  the  place  over  be- 
fore  definitely  refusing  to  be  its  Princess ! "  His  first 
thrill  of  exultation  gave  way  to  a  sickening  sense  of 
disappointment. 

All  this  time  she  was  regarding  him  through  amused, 
half-closed  eyes.  She  had  a  distinct  advantage  over 
him.  She  knew  that  he  was  the  Prince  of  Graustark ; 
she  had  known  it  for  many  days.  Perhaps  if  she  had 
known  all  the  things  that  were  in  his  cunning  brain, 


SOS        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

she  would  not  have  ventured  so  far  into  the  comedy 
she  was  constructing.  She  would  have  hesitated  — 
aye,  she  might  have  changed  her  methods  completely. 
But  she  was  in  the  mood  to  do  and  say  daring  things. 
She  considered  her  position  absolutely  secure,  and  so 
she  could  afford  to  enjoy  herself  for  the  time  being. 
There  would  be  an  hour  of  reckoning,  no  doubt,  but 
she  was  not  troubled  by  its  promise  of  castigation. 

"  Poor  Prince !  "  she  sighed  pityingly.  He  started. 
The  remark  was  so  unexpected  that  he  almost  be- 
trayed himself.  It  seemed  profoundly  personal. 
"  He  will  be  in  very  hot  water,  I  fear." 

He  regarded  her  coldly.  "  And  you  want  to  be  on 
hand  to  see  him  squirm,  I  suppose." 

She  took  instant  alarm.  Was  she  going  too  far? 
His  query  was  somewhat  disconcerting. 

"  To  be  perfectly  frank  with  you,  Mr.  Schmidt,  I 
am  going  to  Graustark  because  no  one  will  ever  think 
of  looking  for  me  in  such  an  out-of-the-way  place.  I 
am  serious  now,  so  you  must  not  laugh  at  me.  Cir- 
cumstances are  such  that  I  prefer  to  seek  happiness 
after  a  fashion  of  my  own.  My  parents  love  me,  but 
they  will  not  understand  me.  They  wish  me  to  marry 
a  man  they  have  picked  out  for  me.  I  intend  to  pick 
out  my  own  man,  Mr.  Schmidt.  You  may  suspect, 
from  all  that  you  have  seen,  that  I  am  running  away 
from  home,  from  those  who  are  dearest  in  all  the 
world  to  me.  You  knew  that  I  was  carefully 
watched  in  Paris.  You  know  that  my  father  fears 


"WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  DO!"      309 

that  I  may  marry  a  man  distasteful  to  him,  and  I  sup- 
pose to  my  mother,  although  she  is  not  so — " 

"  Are  his  fears  well-founded?  "  he  asked,  rudely  in- 
terrupting her.  "  Is  there  a  man  that  he  has  cause 
to  fear?  Are  —  are  you  in  love  with  some  one,  Be- 
delia?  " 

"  Do  not  interrupt  me.  I  want  you  to  know  that 
I  am  not  running  away  from  home,  that  I  shall  re- 
turn to  it  when  I  see  fit,  and  that  I  am  not  in  love 
with  the  man  they  suspect.  I  want  you  to  be  just 
with  me.  You  are  not  to  blame  my  father  for  any- 
thing, no  matter  how  absurd  his  actions  may  appear 
to  you  in  the  light  of  the  past  few  days.  It  is  right 
that  he  should  try  to  safeguard  me.  I  am  wayward 
but  I  am  not  foolish.  I  shall  commit  no  silly  blunder, 
you  may  be  sure  of  that.  Now  do  you  understand  me 
better?  " 

She  was  very  serious,  very  intense.  He  laid  his 
hand  on  hers,  and  she  did  not  withdraw  it.  Embold- 
ened, his  hand  closed  upon  the  dainty  fingers  and  an 
instant  later  they  were  borne  to  his  hot  lips. 

"  You  have  said  that  I  came  here  in  search  of  a 
light  adventure,"  he  whispered,  holding  her  hand  close 
to  his  cheek  as  he  bent  nearer  to  her.  "  You  imply 
that  I  am  a  trifler,  a  light-o'-love.  I  want  you  to  un- 
derstand me  better.  I  came  here  because  I  — " 

"  Stop !  "  she  pleaded.  "  You  must  not  say  it.  I 
am  serious  —  yes,  I  know  that  you  are  serious  too. 
But  you  must  wait.  If  you  were  to  say  it  to  me  now 


810         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

I  should  have  to  send  you  away  and  —  oh,  believe  me, 
I  do  not  want  to  do  that.  I  —  I  — " 

"  You  love  no  one  else  ?  "  he  cried,  rapturously. 

She  swayed  slightly,  as  if  incapable  of  resisting  the 
appeal  that  called  her  to  his  heart.  Her  lips  were' 
parted,  her  eyes  glowed  luminously  even  in  the  shad- 
ows, and  she  scarcely  breathed  the  words : 

"  I  love  no  one  else." 

A  less  noble  nature  than  his  would  have  seized  upon 
the  advantage  offered  by  her  sudden  weakness.  In- 
stead, he  drew  a  long,  deep  breath,  straightened  his 
figure  and  as  he  gently  released  the  imprisoned  hand, 
the  prince  in  him  spoke. 

"  You  have  asked  me  to  wait.  I  am  sure  that  you 
know  what  is  in  my  heart.  It  will  always  be  there. 
It  will  not  cut  and  slash  and  stab,  for  it  is  the  most 
tender  thing  that  has  ever  come  into  my  life  —  or 
yours.  It  must  never  be  accused  of  giving  pain  to 
you,  so  I  shall  obey  you  —  and  wait.  You  are  right 
to  avoid  the  risk  of  entrusting  a  single  word  of  hope 
to  me.  I  am  a  passer-by.  My  sincerity,  my  honesty 
of  purpose  remain  to  be  proved.  Time  will  serve 
my  cause.  I  can  only  ask  you  to  believe  in  me  —  to 
trust  me  a  little  more  each  day  —  and  to  let  your 
heart  be  my  judge." 

She  spoke  softly.  "  I  believe  in  you,  I  trust  you 
even  now,  or  I  would  not  be  here.  You  are  kind  to 
me.  Few  would  have  been  so  generous.  We  both  are 
passers-by.  It  is  too  soon  for  us  to  judge  each  other 
in  the  full.  I  must  be  sure  —  oh,  I  must  be  sure  of 


"WHAT  WILL  MY  PEOPLE  DO!"      311 

myself.  Can  you  understand?  I  must  be  sure  of 
myself,  and  I  am  not  sure  now.  You  do  not  know 
how  much  there  is  at  stake,  you  can  not  possibly  know 
what  it  would  mean  to  me  if  I  were  to  discover  that 
our  adventure  had  no  real  significance  in  the  end.  I 
know  it  sounds  strange  and  mysterious,  or  you  would 
not  look  so  puzzled.  But  unless  I  can  be  sure  of  one 
thing  —  one  vital  thing  —  our  adventure  has  failed 
in  every  respect.  Now,  I  must  go  in.  No ;  do  not  ask 
me  to  stay  —  and  let  me  go  alone.  I  prefer  it  so. 
Good  night,  my  comrade." 

He  stood  up  and  let  her  pass.  "  Good  night,  my 
princess,"  he  said,  clearly  and  distinctly.  She  shot 
a  swift  glance  into  his  eyes,  smiled  faintly,  and  moved 
away.  His  rapt  gaze  followed  her.  She  entered  the 
door  without  so  much  as  a  glance  over  her  shoul- 
der. 

"  My  princess,"  he  repeated  wonderingly,  to  him- 
self. "  Have  I  kissed  the  hand  of  my  princess?  God 
in  heaven,  is  there  on  earth  a  princess  more  perfect 
than  she?  Can  there  be  in  all  this  world  another  so 
deserving  of  worship  as  she?" 

Late  at  night  she  sat  in  her  window  looking  up  at 
the  peaceful  Jungfrau.  A  dreamy,  ineffably  sweet 
smile  lay  in  her  dark  eyes.  The  hand  he  kissed  had 
lain  long  against  her  lips.  To  herself  she  had  re- 
peated, over  and  over  again,  the  inward  whisper: 

"  What  will  my  dear,  simple  old  dad  say  if  I  marry 
this  man  after  all?  " 

Jn  a  window  not  ten  feet  away,  he  was  staring  out 


312        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

into  the  night,  with  lowering  eyes  and  troubled  heart, 
and  in  his  mind  he  was  saying: 

"  What  will  my  people  do  if  I  marry  this  woman 
after  all? '? 


CHAPTER    XX 

LOVE    IN    ABEYANCE 

Two  days  went  by.  They  were  fraught  with  an  ever- 
increasing  joy  for  the  two  who  were  learning  to  under- 
stand each  other  through  the  mute,  though  irresistible 
teachings  of  a  common  tutor.  Each  succeeding  hoar 
had  its  exquisite  compensation;  each  presented  the 
cup  of  knowledge  to  lips  that  were  parched  with  the 
fever  of  impotence,  and  each  time  it  was  returned  empty 
by  the  seekers  after  wisdom.  There  were  days  in 
which  Love  went  harvesting  and  prospered  amazingly 
in  the  fields,  for  each  moment  that  he  stored  away 
against  the  future  was  ripe  with  promise.  He  was 
laying  by  the  store  on  which  he  was  to  subsist  to  the 
end  of  his  days ;  he  allowed  no  moment  to  go  to  waste, 
for  he  is  a  miser  and  full  of  greed. 

Not  one  word  of  love  passed  between  these  two  who 
waited  for  the  fruit  to  ripen.  They  were  never  alone 
together.  Always  they  were  attended  by  the  calm, 
keen-eyed  Mrs.  Gaston,  who,  though  she  may  have 
been  in  sympathy  with  their  secret  enterprise,  was 
nevertheless  a  dependable  barrier  to  its  hasty  con- 
summation. 

She  had  received  her  instructions  from  the  one  now 
most  likely  to  be  in  need  of  a  deterring  influence;  the 
girl  herself.  After  that  evening  on  the  porch,  Bedelia 

313 


814         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

had  gone  straight  to  her  duenna  with  the  truth. 
Then  she  made  it  clear  to  the  good  lady  that  she  was 
not  to  be  left  alone  for  an  instant  to  confront  the 
welcome  besieger.  And  so  it  was  that  when  Robin 
and  Bedelia  walked  or  rode  together,  they  were  a*~» 
tended  by  prevention.  In  the  Casino,  at  the  gaming 
tables,  at  the  concert,  or  even  in  the  street  he  was 
never  free  to  express  a  thought  or  emotion  that,  under 
less  guarded  conditions,  might  have  exposed  her  to 
the  risk  she  was  so  carefully  avoiding. 

He  understood  the  situation  perfectly  and  was  not 
/esentful.  He  appreciated  the  caution  with  which  she 
was  carrying  on  her  own  campaign,  and  he  was  not 
unmindful  of  the  benefits  that  might  also  accrue  to  him 
through  this  proscribed  period  of  reflection.  While 
he  was  sure  of  himself  by  this  time,  and  fully  deter- 
mined to  risk  even  his  crown  for  the  girl  who  so  calmly 
held  him  at  bay,  he  was  also  sensible  of  the  wisdom  of 
her  course.  She  was  not  willing  to  subject  herself 
or  him  to  the  dangers  of  temptation.  As  she  had  said, 
there  was  a  great  deal  at  stake ;  the  rest  of  their  lives, 
in  truth. 

There  was  one  little  excursion  to  Grindelwald  and 
its  glacier,  and  later  an  ascent  of  the  Schynige  Platte. 
Even  a  desperate  horror  of  the  rack  and  pinion  rail* 
way  up  and  down  the  steep  mountain  did  not  daunt 
the  incomparable  chaperone.  (True,  she  closed  her 
eyes  and  shrank  as  far  away  from  the  edge  of  eternity 
as  possible,  but  she  stuck  manfully  to  her  post.)  He 


LOVE  IN  ABEYANCE  316 

dined  with  them  on  the  two  evenings,  and  withi  them 
heard  the  concerts. 

There  were  times  when  he  was  perplexed,  and  uncer- 
tain of  her.  At  no  time  did  she  relax  into  what  might 
have  been  considered  a  receptive  or  even  an  encourag- 
)  ing  mood.  He  watched  eagerly  for  the  love-light 
that  he  hoped  to  surprise  in  her  eyes,  but  it  never  ap- 
peared. She  was  serene,  self-contained,  natural. 
That  momentary  dissolving  on  her  part  when  she  sat 
with  him  in  the  shadows  was  the  only  circumstance 
he  had  to  base  his  hopes  upon.  She  had  betrayed  her- 
self then  by  word  and  manner,  but  now  she  had  her 
emotions  well  in  hand. 

Her  lovely  eyes  met  his  frankly  and  without  the 
faintest  sign  of  diffidence  or  self-consciousness.  Her 
soft  laugh  was  free  and  unconstrained,  her  smile  gay 
and  remotely  suggestive  of  mischief.  At  times  he 
thought  she  was  playing  the  game  too  well  for  one  who 
professed  to  be  concerned  about  the  future. 

On  the  third  day  he  was  convicted  of  duplicity. 
She  went  off  for  a  walk  alone,  leaving  him  safely 
anchored  in  what  he  afterwards  came  to  look  upon 
as  a  pre-arranged  game  of  auction-bridge.  When  she 
<  came  in  after  an  absence  of  at  least  two  hours,  the 
game  was  just  breaking  up.  He  noted  the  question- 
ing look  that  Mrs.  Gaston  bestowed  upon  her  fair 
charge,  and  also  remarked  that  it  contained  no  sign 
of  reproof.  The  girl  went  up  to  her  room  without 
so  much  as  a  word  with  him.  Her  face  was  flushed 


316        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

and  she  carried  her  head  disdainfully.  He  was  greatly 
puzzled. 

The  puzzle  was  soon  explained.  He  waited  for  her 
on  the  stairway  as  she  came  down  alone  to  dinner. 

"  You  told  me  that  your  friends  were  not  in  Inter- 
laken,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said  coldly.  "  Why  did  you 
feel  called  upon  to  deceive  me?  " 

He  bit  his  lip.  For  an  instant  he  reflected,  and 
then  gave  an  evasive  answer.  "  I  think  I  told  you  that 
I  was  alone  in  this  hotel,  Miss  Guile.  My  friends  are 
at  another  hotel.  I  am  not  aware  that — " 

"  I  have  seen  and  talked  with  that  charming  old 
man,  Mr.  Totten,"  she  interrupted.  "  He  has  been 
here  for  days,  and  Mr.  Dank  as  well.  Do  you  think 
that  you  have  been  quite  fair  with  me  ?  " 

He  lowered  his  eyes.  "  I  think  I  have  been  most 
fair  to  both  of  us,"  he  replied.  "  Will  you  believe  me 
when  I  say  that  in  a  way  I  personally  requested  them 
to  leave  this  hotel  and  seek  another?  And  will  it  de- 
crease your  respect  for  me  if  I  add  that  I  wanted  to 
have  you  all  to  myself,  so  to  speak,  and  not  to  feel 
that  these  good  friends  of  mine  were  — " 

"  Why  don't  you  look  me  in  the  face,  Mr.  Schmidt?  " 
she  broke  in.  He  looked  up  at  once  prepared  to  meet 
a  look  of  disdain.  To  his  surprise,  she  was  smiling. 
"  I  have  talked  it  all  over  with  Mrs.  Gaston,  and  she 
advised  me  to  forgive  you  if  you  were  in  the  least  peni- 
tent and  —  honest.  Well,  you  have  made  an  honest 
confession,  I  am  satisfied.  Now,  I  have  a  confession 
to  make.  I  have  suspected  all  along  that  Mr.  Totten 


LOVE  IN  ABEYANCE  817 

and  Mr.  Dank  and  the  shadowy  Mr.  Gourou  were  in 
the  town." 

"  You  suspected?  "  he  cried  in  amazement  and  cha- 
grin. 

"  I  was  morally  certain  that  they  were  here.  To- 
day my  suspicions  were  justified.  I  encountered  Mr. 
Totten  in  the  park  beyond  the  Jungfraublick.  He 
was  very  much  upset,  I  can  assure  you,  but  he  recov- 
ered with  amazing  swiftness.  We  sat  on  one  of  the 
benches  in  a  nice  little  nook  and  had  a  long,  long  talk. 
He  is  a  charming  man.  I  have  asked  him  to  come  to 
luncheon  with  us  to-morrow,  and  to  bring  Mr.  Dank." 

"  Good  Lord,  will  wonders  never  — " 

"  But  I  did  not  include  the  still  invisible  Mr.  Gou- 
rou. I  was  afraid  that  you  would  be  too  uncomfort- 
able under  the  hawk-like  eye  of  the  gentleman  who  so 
kindly  warned  us  at  the  Pavilion  Bleu."  There  was 
gentle  raillery  in  her  manner.  "  I  shall  expect  you  to 
join  us,  Mr.  Schmidt.  You  have  no  other  engage- 
ment? " 

"  I  —  I  shall  be  delighted,"  he  stammered. 

She  laid  her  hand  gently  upon  his  arm  and  a  serious 
sweetness  came  into  her  eyes. 

"  Come,"  she  said ;  "  let  us  go  in  ahead  of  Mrs.  Gas- 
ton.  Let  us  have  just  one  little  minute  to  ourselves, 
Mr.  Schmidt." 

It  was  true  that  she  came  upon  the  Count  in  one  of 
the  paths  of  the  Kleine  Rugen.  He  was  walking 
slowly  toward  her,  his  eyes  fixed  thoughtfully  upon 
the  ground.  When  she  accosted  him,  he  was  plainly 


318         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

confused,  as  she  had  said.     After  the  first  few  pas- 
sages in  polite  though  stilted  conversation,  his  keen, 
grey  eyes  resumed  their  thoughtful  —  it  was  even  a ' 
calculating  look. 

"  Will  you  sit  here  with  me  for  a  while,  Miss  Guile?  "• 
he  asked  gently.  "  I  have  something  of  the  gravest 
importance  to  say  to  you." 

She  sat  beside  him  on  the  sequestered  bench,  and 
when  she  arose  to  leave  him  an  hour  later,  her  cheek 
was  warm  with  colour  and  her  eyes  were  filled  with 
tenderness  toward  this  grim,  staunch  old  man  who  was 
the  friend  of  her  friend.  She  laid  her  hand  in  his  and 
suffered  him  to  raise  it  to  his  lips. 

"  I  hope,  my  dear  young  lady,"  said  he  with  simple 
directness,  "  that  you  will  not  regard  me  as  a  stupid, 
interfering  old  meddler.  God  is  my  witness,  I  have 
your  best  interests  at  heart.  You  are  too  good  and 
beautiful  to — " 

"  I  shall  always  look  upon  you  as  the  kindest  of 
men ! "  she  cried  impulsively,  and  left  him. 

He  stood  watching  her  slender,  graceful  figure  as 
she  moved  down  the  sloping  path  and  turned  into  the 
broad  avenue.  A  smallish  man  with  a  lean  face  came 
up  from  the  opposite  direction  and  stopped  beside  hinu 

"  Could  you  resist  her,  Quinnox,  if  you  were  twenty- 
two?  "  asked  this  man  in  his  quiet  voice. 

Quinnox  did  not  look  around,  but  shook  his  head 
slowly.  "  I  cannot  resist  her  at  sixty-two,  my  friend. 
She  is  adorable." 

"  I   do  not  blame  him.     It  is   fate.     She  is  fate. 


LOVE  IN  ABEYANCE  319 

Our  work  is  done,  my  friend.  We  have  served  our 
country  well,  but  fate  has  taken  the  matter  out  of  our 
hands.  There  is  nothing  left  for  us  to  do  but  to  fold 
our  arms  and  wait."  Gourou  revealed  his  inscrutable 
smile  as  he  pulled  at  his  thin,  scraggly  moustache. 
He  was  shaking  his  head,  as  one  who  resigns  himself 
to  the  inevitable. 

After  a  long  silence  Quinnox  spoke. 

"  Our  people  will  come  to  love  their  princess,  Gou- 
rou." 

"  Even  as  you  and  I,  my  friend,"  said  the  Baron. 

And  then  they  held  their  heads  erect  and  walked 
confidently  down  the  road  their  future  sovereign  had 
traversed  before  them. 

When  Mrs.  Gaston  joined  Robin  and  Bedelia  at  the 
table  which  had  been  set  for  them  in  the  salle  a  manger, 
she  laid  several  letters  before  the  girl  who  picked  them 
up  instantly  and  glanced  at  the  superscription  on  each. 

"  I  think  that  all  of  them  are  important,"  said  Mrs. 
Gaston  significantly.  The  smile  on  the  girl's  face  had 
given  way  to  a  clouded  brow.  She  was  visibly  per- 
turbed. 

"  You  will  forgive  me,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said  nerv- 
ously. "  I  must  look  at  them  at  once." 

He  tried  not  to  watch  her  face  as  she  read  what 
appeared  to  be  a  brief  and  yet  evidently  important 
letter,  but  his  rapt  gaze  was  not  to  be  so  easily  man- 
aged. An  exclamation  of  annoyance  fell  from  her 
lips. 

"  This  is  from  a  friend  in  Paris,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

said,  hesitatingly.  Then,  as  if  coming  to  a  quick  de- 
cision :  "  My  father  has  heard  that  I  am  carrying  on 
atrociously  with  a  strange  young  man.  It  seems  that 
it  is  a  new  young  man.  He  is  beside  himself  with  rage. 
My  friends  have  already  come  in  for  severe  criticism. 
He  blames  them  for  permitting  his  daughter  to  run  at 
large  and  to  pick  up  with  every  Tom,  Dick  and  Harry. 
Dear  me,  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  what  he  will  do  to 
you,  Mrs.  Gaston.  He  will  take  off  your  head  com- 
pletely. But  never  fear,  you  old  dear,  I  will  see  that 
it  is  put  on  again  as  neatly  as  ever.  So,  you  see,  Mr. 
Schmidt,  you  now  belong  to  that  frightful  order  of  no- 
bodies, the  Toms  and  the  Dicks  and  the  Harrys." 

"  I  see  that  there  is  a  newspaper  clipping  attached," 
he  remarked.  "  Perhaps  your  father  has  been  saying 
something  to  the  newspapers."  It  was  a  mean  speech 
and  he  regretted  it  instantly. 

She  was  not  offended,  however.  Indeed,  she  may 
not  have  heard  what  he  said,  for  she  was  reading  the 
little  slip  of  printed  matter.  Suddenly  she  tore  it  into 
tiny  bits  and  scattered  them  under  the  table.  Her 
cheeks  were  red  and  her  eyes  glistened  unmistakably 
with  mortification.  He  was  never  to  know  what  was 
in  that  newspaper  cutting,  but  he  was  conscious  of  a 
sharp  sensation  of  anger  and  pity  combined.  What- 
ever it  was,  it  was  offensive  to  her,  and  his  blood  boiled. 
He  noted  the  expression  of  alarm  and  apprehension 
deepen  in  Mrs.  Gaston's  face. 

Bedelia  slashed  open  another  envelope  and  glanced 


LOVE  IN  ABEYANCE 

at  its  contents.  Her  eyes  flew  open  with  surprise. 
For  an  instant  she  stared,  a  frown  of  perplexity  on  her 
brow. 

"  We  are  discovered ! "  she  cried  a  moment  later, 
clapping  her  hands  together  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight. 
"  The  pursuers  are  upon  our  heels.  Even  now  they 
may  be  watching  me  from  behind  some  convenient  post 
or  through  some  handy  window  pane.  Isn't  it  fine? 
Don't  look  so  horrified,  you  old  dear.  They  can't  eat 
us,  you  know,  even  though  we  are  in  a  dining-room.  I 
love  it  all!  Followed  by  man-hunters!  What  could 
be  more  thrilling?  The  chase  is  on  again.  Quick! 
We  must  prepare  for  flight !  " 

"  Flight?  "  gasped  Robin.  Her  eyes  were  dancing. 
His  were  filled  with  dismay. 

"  It  is  as  I  feared,"  she  cried.  "  They  have  found 
me  out.  Hurry!  Let  us  finish  this  wretched  dinner. 
I  must  leave  here  to-night." 

"  Impossible !  "  cried  Mrs.  Gaston.  '*  Don't  be  silly. 
To-morrow  will  be  time  enough.  Calm  yourself,  my 
dear." 

"  To-morrow  at  sunrise,"  cried  Bedelia  enthusias- 
tically. "  It  is  already  planned,  Mr.  Schmidt.  I 
have  engaged  an  automobile  in  anticipation  of  this 
very  emergency.  The  trains  are  not  safe.  To-mor- 
row I  fly  again.  This  letter  is  from  the  little  stenog- 
rapher in  Paris.  I  bribed  her  —  yes,  I  bribed  her 
with  many  francs.  She  is  in  the  offices  of  the  great 
detective  agency — *  the  Eye  that  never  Sleeps ! '  I 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

shall  give  her  a  great  many  more  of  those  excellent 
francs,  my  friends.  She  is  an  honest  girl.  She  did 
not  fail  me." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  say  she  is  honest  if  she  ac- 
cepted a  bribe,"  said  Mrs.  Gaston  severely. 

"  Pooh !  "  was  Miss  Guile's  sufficient  answer  to  this. 
"  We  cross  the  Brunig  Pass  by  motor.  That  really  is 
like  flying,  isn't  it?  " 

"  To  Lucerne  ?  "  demanded  Robin,  still  hazily. 

"  No,  no !  That  would  be  madness.  We  shall 
avoid  Lucerne.  Miles  and  miles  to  the  north  we  will 
find  a  safe  retreat  for  a  day  or  two.  Then  there  will 
be  a  journey  by  rail  to  —  to  your  own  city  of  Vienna, 
Mr.  Schmidt.  You  — " 

"  See  here,"  said  Robin  flatly,  "  I  don't  understand 
the  necessity  for  all  this  rushing  about  by  motor 
and—" 

"  Of  course  you  don't,"  she  cried.  "  You  are  not 
being  sought  by  a  cruel,  inhuman  monster  of  a  father 
who  would  consign  you  to  a  most  shudderable  fate ! 
You  don't  have  to  marry  a  man  whose  very  name  you 
have  hated.  You  can  pick  and  choose  for  yourself. 
And  so  shall  I,  for  that  matter.  You  — " 

"  You  adore  your  father,"  cut  in  Mrs.  Gaston 
sharply.  "  I  don't  think  you  should  speak  of  him  in 
that—" 

"  Of  course  I  adore  him !  He  is  a  dear  old  bear. 
But  he  is  a  monster,  an  ogre,  a  tyrant,  a  —  oh,  well, 
he  is  everything  that's  dreadful !  You  look  dreadfully 
serious,  Mr.  Schmidt.  Do  you  think  that  I  should 


LOVE  IN  ABEYANCE 

submit  to  my  father's  demands  and  marry  the  man  he 
has  chosen  for  me?  " 

"  I  do,"  said  Robin,  abruptly  and  so  emphatically 
that  both  of  his  hearers  jumped  in  their  seats.  He 
made  haste  to  dissemble.  "  Of  course,  I'd  much 
rather  have  you  do  that  than  to  break  your  neck  roll- 
ing over  a  precipice  or  something  of  the  sort  in  a 
crazy  automobile  dash." 

Miss  Guile  recovered  her  poise  with  admirable 
promptness.  Her  smile  was  a  trifle  uncertain,  but 
she  had  a  dependable  wit.  "  If  that  is  all  that  you  are 
afraid  of,  I'll  promise  to  save  my  neck  at  all  costs," 
she  said.  "  I  could  have  many  husbands  but  only  one 
poor  little  neck." 

"  You  can  have  only  one  husband,"  said  he,  almost 
savagely.  "  By  the  way,  why  don't  you  read  the  other, 
letter?"  He  was  regarding  it  with  jealous  eyes,  for 
she  had  slipped  it,  face  downward,  under  the  edge  of 
her  plate. 

"  It  isn't  important,"  she  said,  with  a  quick  look 
into  his  eyes.  She  convicted  herself  in  that  glance, 
and  knew  it  on  the  instant. 

Angry  with  herself,  she  snatched  up  the  letter  and 
tore  it  open.  Her  cheeks  were  flushed.  She  read 
however  without  betraying  any  additional  evidence  of 
uneasiness  or  embarrassment.  When  she  had  finished, 
she  deliberately  folded  the  sheets  and  stuck  them  back 
into  the  envelope  without  comment.  One  looking  over 
her  shoulder  as  she  read,  however,  might  have  caught 
snatches  of  sentences  here  and  there  on  the  heavilj 


324         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

scrawled  page.  They  were  such  as  these :  "  You 
had  led  me  to  hope,"  ..."  for  years  I  have  been 
your  faithful  admirer,"  ..."  Nor  have  I  wavered 
for  an  instant  despite  your  whimsical  attitude,"  .  .  . 
1f  therefore  I  felt  justified  in  believing  that  you  were 
sincere  in  your  determination  to  defy  your  father.'5 
And  others  of  an  even  more  caustic  nature :  "  You 
are  going  to  marry  this  prince  after  all,"  ..."  not 
that  you  have  ever  by  word  or  deed  bound  yourself  to 
me,  yet  I  had  every  reason  to  hope,"  ..."  Your 
father  will  be  pleased  to  find  that  you  are  obedient,'* 
..."  I  am  not  mean  enough  to  wish  you  anything 
but  happiness,  although  I  know  you  will  never  achieve 
it  through  this  sickening  surrender  to  vanity,"  .  .  . 
"  if  I  were  a  prince  with  a  crown  and  a  debt  that  I 
couldn't  pay,"  ..."  admit  that  I  have  had  no  real 
chance  to  win  out  against  such  odds,"  etc. 

She  faced  Robin  coolly.  "  It  will  be  necessary  to 
abandon  our  little  luncheon  for  to-morrow.  I  am 
sorry.  Still  Mr.  Totten  informs  me  that  he  will  be 
in  Vienna  shortly.  The  pleasure  is  merely  post- 
poned." 

"  Are  you  in  earnest  about  this  trip  by  motor  to- 
morrow morning?  "  demanded  Robin  darkly.  "  You 
surely  cannot  be  — " 

"  I  am  very  much  in  earnest,"  she  said  decisively. 
He  looked  to  Mrs.  Gaston  for  help.  That  lady  plac- 
idly shook  her  head.  In  fact,  she  appeared  to  be 
rather  in  favour  of  the  preposterous  plan,  if  one  were 
to  judge  by  the  rapt  expression  on  her  countenance. 


LOVE  IN  ABEYANCE  325 

**  I  had  the  supposedly  honest  word  of  these  crafty 
gentlemen  that  I  was  not  to  be  interfered  with  again. 
They  gave  me  their  promise.  I  shall  now  give  them 
all  the  trouble  possible." 

"  But  it  will  be  a  simple  matter  for  them  to  find  out 
how  and  when  you  left  this  hotel  and  to  trace  you  per- 
fectly." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  of  that,"  she  said,  exultantly. 
"  I  have  a  trick  or  two  up  my  sleeve  that  will  baffle 
them  properly,  Mr.  Schmidt." 

"  My  dear,"  interposed  Mrs.  Gaston  severely,  "  do 
not  forget  yourself.  It  isn't  necessary  to  resort  to 
slang  in  order — " 

"  Slang  is  always  necessary,"  avowed  Bedelia,  un- 
disturbed. "  Goodness,  I  know  I  shall  not  sleep  a 
wink  to-night." 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Robin  gloomily.  Suddenly  his  face 
lightened.  A  wild,  reckless  gleam  shot  into  his  eyes 
and,  to  their  amazement,  he  banged  the  table  with  his 
fist.  "  By  Jove,  I  know  what  I  shall  do.  I'll  go  with 
you!" 

"  No !  "  cried  Bedelia,  aghast.  "I  —  I  cannot  per- 
mit it,  Mr.  Schmidt.  Can't  you  understand?  You 
»•—•  you  are  the  man  with  whom  I  am  supposed  to  be 
Tarrying  on  atrociously.  What  could  be  more  con- 
victing than  to  be  discovered  racing  over  a  mountain 
pass  — •  Oh,  it  is  not  to  be  considered  —  not  for  an 
instant." 

"Well,  I  can  tell  you  flatly  just  what  I  intend  to 
do,"  said  he,  setting  his  jaws.  "  I  shall  hire  another 


326        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

car  and  keep  you  in  sight  every  foot  of  the  way. 
You  may  be  able  to  elude  the  greatest  detective  agency 
in  Europe,  but  you  can't  get  away  from  me.     I  in-  ' 
tend  to  keep  you  now  that  I've  got  you,   Bedeliao 
You  can't  shake  me  off.     Where  you  go,  I  go." 

"Do  you  mean  it?"  she  cried,  a  new  thrill  in  her 
voice.  He  looked  deep  into  her  eyes  and  read  there 
a  message  that  invited  him  to  perform  vast  though 
fool-hardy  deeds.  Her  eyes  were  suddenly  sweet  with 
the  love  she  had  never  expected  to  know;  her  lips 
trembled  with  the  longing  for  kisses.  "  I  shall  travel 
far,"  she  murmured.  "  You  may  find  the  task  an 
arduous  one  —  keeping  up  with  me,  I  mean." 

"  I  am  young  and  strong,"  he  saidy  "  and,  if  God 
is  good  to  me,  I  shall  live  for  fifty  years  to  come,  or 
even  longer.  I  tingle  with  joy,  Bedelia,  when  I  think 
of  being  near  you  for  fifty  years  or  more.  Have  — 
have  you  thought  of  it  in  that  light?  Have  you  looked 
ahead  and  said  to  yourself:  fifty  years  have  I  to  live 
and  all  of  them  with  — " 

"  Hush !  I  was  speaking  of  a  week's  j  ourney,  not 
of  a  life's  voyage,  Mr.  Schmidt,"  she  said,  her  face 
suffused. 

"  I  was  speaking  of  a  honeymoon,"  said  he,  and 
then  remembered  Mrs.  Gaston.  She  was  leaning  back 
in  her  chair,  smiling  benignly.  He  had  an  uncom- 
fortable thought:  was  he  walking  ?.nto  a  trap  set  for 
him  by  this  clever  woman?  Had  she  an  ulterior  mo« 
tive  in  advancing  his  cause? 


LOVE  IN  ABEYANCE  327 

"  But  it  would  be  perfectly  silly  of  you  to  follow 
roe  in  a  car,"  said  Bedelia,  trying  to  regain  her  lost 
composure.  "  Perfectly  silly,  wouldn't  it,  Mrs.  Gas- 
ton?" 

"  Perfectly,"  said  Mrs.  Gaston. 

"  I  will  promise  to  see  you  in  Vienna  — " 

"  I  intend  to  see  you  every  day,"  he  declared,  "  from 
now  till  the  end  of  time." 

"Really,  Mr.  Schmidt,  you — " 

"  If  there  is  one  thing  I  despise  beyond  all  reason, 
Bedelia,  it  is  the  name  of  '  Schmidt ' !  I  wish  you 
wouldn't  call  me  by  that  name." 

"  I  can't  just  call  you  *  Mister,5 "  she  demurred. 

"  Call  me  Rex  for  the  present,"  said  he.  "  I  will 
supply  you  with  a  better  one  later  on." 

"  May  I  call  him  Rex?  "  she  inquired  of  her  com- 
panion. 

"  In  moderation,"  said  Mrs.  Gaston. 

"  Very  well,  then,  Rex,  I  have  changed  my  mind. 
I  shall  not  cross  the  Brunig  by  motor  since  you  insist 
upon  risking  your  neck  in  pursuit  of  me.  I  shall 
go  by  train  in  the  morning, —  calmly,  complacently, 
stupidly  by  train.  Instead  of  a  thrilling  dash  for 
liberty  over  rocky  heights  and  through  perilous 
gorges,  I  shall  travel  like  any  bourgeoise  in  a  second 
= —  or  third  class  carriage,  and  the  only  thrill  I  shall 
have  will  be  when  we  stop  for  Baker's  chocolate  at 
the  top  of  the  Pass.  By  that  time  I  expect  to  be  suf- 
ficiently hungry  to  be  thrilled  even  by  the  sight  of  a 


328        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

cake  of  chocolate.  Will  you  travel  in  the  carriage 
behind  me?  I  fancy  it  will  be  safe  and  convenient 
and  you  can't  possibly  be  far  from  my  heels." 

"  That's  a  sensible  idea,"  he  cried.  "  And  we  may 
be  able  to  accommodate  your  other  pursuers  on  the 
same  train.  What's  the  sense  of  leaving  them  be- 
hind? They'd  only  catch  us  up  in  the  end,  so  we 
might  just  as  well  take  them  along  with  us." 

"  No.  We  will  keep  well  ahead  of  them.  I  insist 
on  that.  They  can't  get  here  before  to-morrow  after- 
noon, so  we  will  be  far  in  the  lead.  We  will  be  in 
Vienna  in  two  days.  There  I  shall  say  good-bye  to 
you,  for  I  am  going  on  beyond.  I  am  going  to  Graus- 
tark,  the  new  Blithers  estate.  Surely  you  will  not 
follow  me  there." 

"  You  are  very  much  mistaken.  I  shall  be  there 
as  soon  as  you  and  I  shall  stay  just  as  long,  provided 
Mr.  Blithers  has  no  objections,"  said  Robin,  with 
more  calmness  than  he  had  hoped  to  display  in  the 
face  of  her  sudden  thrust. 

"We  are  forgetting  our  dinner,"  said  Mrs.  Gas- 
ton  quietly.  "  I  think  the  waiter  is  annoyed." 


CHAPTER    XXI 

y«R.    BLITHERS    ARRIVES   IN    GRAUSTARK 

MR.  WILLIAM  W.  BLITHERS  arrived  in  Edelweiss,  the 
Capital  of  Graustark,  on  the  same  day  that  the  Prince 
returned  from  his  tour  of  the  world.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  he  travelled  by  special  train  and  beat  the  Prince 
home  by  the  matter  of  three  hours.  The  procession 
of  troops,  headed  by  the  Royal  Castle  Guard,  it  was 
announced  would  pass  the  historic  Hotel  Regengetz 
at  five  in  the  afternoon,  so  Mr.  Blithers  had  front 
seats  on  the  extension  porch  facing  the  Platz. 

He  did  not  know  it,  but  if  he  had  waited  for  the 
regular  train  in  Vienna,  he  would  have  had  the  hon- 
our of  travelling  in  the  same  railway  carriage  with 
the  royal  young  man.  ("  Would  "  is  used  advisedly 
in  the  place  of  "  might,"  for  he  would  have  travelled 
in  it,  you  may  be  sure.) 

Moreover,  he  erred  *n  another  particular,  for  ar- 
riving at  the  same  instant  and  virtually  arm-in-arm 
with  the  country's  sovereign,  he  could  hardly  have 
been  kept  out  of  the  procession  itself.  When  you 
stop  to  think  that  next  to  the  Prince  he  was  the 
most  important  personage  in  the  realm  on  this  day  of 
celebration,  it  ought  not  to  be  considered  at  all  un- 
reasonable for  him  to  have  expected  some  notable 

attention,  such  as  being  placed  in  the  first  carriage 

329 


330         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

immediately  behind  the  country's  sovereign,  or  pos- 
sibly on  the  seat  facing  him.  Missing  an  opportunity 
like  this,  wasn't  at  all  Mr.  Blithers'  idea  of  success. 
He  was  very  sorry  about  the  special  train.  If  it 
hadn't  been  for  that  train  he  might  now  be  prepar- 
ing to  ride  castlewards  behind  a  royal  band  instead 
of  sitting  with  his  wife  in  the  front  row  of  seats  on  a 
hotel  porch,  just  like  a  regular  guest,  waiting  for 
the  parade  to  come  along.  It  certainly  was  a  wasted 
opportunity. 

He  had  lost  no  time  in  his  dash  across  the  conti- 
nent. In  the  first  place,  his  agents  in  Paris  made 
it  quite  clear  to  him  that  there  was  likely  to  be  "  ruc- 
tions "  in  Graustark  over  the  loan  and  the  prospect  of 
a  plebeian  princess  being  seated  on  the  throne  whether 
the  people  liked  it  or  not;  and  in  the  second  place, 
Maud  Applegate  had  left  a  note  on  his  desk  in  the 
Paris  offices,  coolly  informing  him  that  she  was  likely 
to  turn  up  in  Edelweiss  almost  as  soon  as  he.  She 
added  an  annoying  postscript.  She  said  she  was 
curious  to  see  what  sort  of  a  place  it  was  that  he  had 
been  wasting  his  money  on! 

To  say  that  he  was  put  out  by  Maud's  aggravat- 
ing behaviour  would  be  stating  the  case  with  exces- 
sive gentleness.  He  was  furious.  He  sent  for  the 
head  of  the  detective  agency  and  gave,  him  a  blowing 
up  that  he  was  never  to  forget.  It  appears  that  the 
detectives  had  followed  a  false  lead  and  had  been 
fooled  by  the  wary  Maud  in  a  most  humiliating  man- 
ner. They  hadn't  the  remotest  notion  where  she  wass, 


MR.  BLITHERS  IN  GRAUSTARK       331 

and  evinced  great  surprise  when  informed  in  a  voice 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  a  half-block  away  that  she 
was  on  her  way  to  Graustark.  They  said  it  couldn't 
be  possible,  and  he  said  they  didn't  know  what  they 
were  talking  about.  He  was  done  with  them.  They 
could  step  out  and  ask  the  cashier  to  give  them  a 
check  for  their  services,  and  so  on  and  so  forth.  He 
did  not  forget  to  notify  them  that  they  were  a  gang 
of  loafers. 

Then  he  dragged  Mrs.  Blithers  off  to  the  Gare  de 
FEste  and  took  the  Express  to  Vienna.  He  would 
see  to  the  loan  first  and  to  Maud  afterward. 

He  had  no  means  of  knowing  that  a  certain  Miss 
Guile  was  doing  more  to  shape  the  destiny  of  the 
principality  of  Graustark  than  all  the  millions  he 
had  poured  into  its  treasury.  Nor  had  he  the  faint- 
est suspicion  that  she  was  even  then  on  Graustark 
soil  and  waiting  as  eagerly  as  he  for  the  procession 
to  pass  a  given  point. 

Going  back  a  day  or  two,  it  becomes  necessary  to 
report  that  while  in  Vienna  the  perverse  Bedelia 
played  a  shabby  trick  on  the  infatuated  Robin.  She 
stole  away  from  the  Bristol  in  the  middle  of  the  night 
and  was  half-way  to  the  Graustark  frontier  before 
he  was  aware  of  her  flight.  She  left  a  note  for  him, 
the  contents  of  which  sufficed  to  ease  his  mind  in  the 
presence  of  what  otherwise  might  have  been  looked 
upon  as  a  calamity.  Instead  of  relapsing  into  de- 
spondency over  her  defection,  he  became  astonishingly 
exuberant.  It  was  relief  and  not  despair  that  fol- 


882        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

lowed  the  receipt  of  the  brief  letter.  She  had  played 
directly  into  his  hand,  after  all.  In  other  words,  she 
had  removed  a  difficulty  that  had  been  troubling  him 
for  days :  the  impossibility  of  entering  his  own  do- 
main without  betraying  his  identity  to  her.  Nat- 
urally his  entrance  to  the  Capital  would  be  attended 
by  the  most  incriminating  manifestation  on  the  part' 
of  the  populace.  The  character  of  R.  Schmidt 
would  be  effaced  in  an  instant,  and,  according  to  his 
own  notion,  quite  a  bit  too  soon  to  suit  his  plans. 
He  preferred  to  remain  Schmidt  until  she  placed  her 
hand  in  his  and  signified  a  readiness  to  become  plain 
Mrs.  R.  Schmidt  of  Vienna.  That  would  be  his  hour 
of  triumph. 

In  her  note  she  said :  "  Forgive  me  for  running 
away  like  this.  It  is  for  the  best.  I  must  have  a  few 
days  to  myself,  dear  friend, —  days  for  sober  reflection 
uninfluenced  by  the  presence  of  a  natural  enemy  to 
composure.  And  so  I  am  leaving  you  in  this  cow- 
ardly, graceless  fashion.  Do  not  think  ill  of  me.  I 
give  you  my  solemn  promise  that  in  a  few  days  I  shall 
let  you  know  where  I  may  be  found  if  you  choose  to 
come  to  me.  Even  then  I  may  not  be  fully  con- 
vinced in  my  own  mind  that  our  adventure  has  reached 
its  climax.  You  have  said  thai  you  would  accompany 
me  to  Graustark.  I  am  leaving  to-night  for  that 
country,  where  I  shall  remain  in  seclusion  for  a  few 
days  before  acquainting  you  with  my  future  plans. 
It  is  not  my  intention  to  stop  in  Edelweiss  at  pres- 
ent. The  newspapers  proclaim  a  state  of  unrest  there 


MR.  BLITHERS  IN  GRAUSTARK       333 

over  the  coming  visit  of  Mr.  Blithers  and  the  return 
of  the  Prince,  both  of  whom  are  very  much  in  the 
public  eye  just  now.  I  prefer  the  quiet  of  the  coun- 
try to  the  excitement  of  the  city,  so  I  shall  seek  some 
remote  village  and  give  myself  up  to  —  shall  I  say 
prayerful  meditation?  Believe  me,  dear  Rex,  to  be 
your  most  devoted,  though  whimsical,  Bedelia." 

He  was  content  with  this.  Deep  down  in  his  heart 
he  thanked  her  for  running  away  at  such  an  op- 
portune time!  The  situation  was  immeasurably  sim- 
plified. He  had  laid  awake  nights  wondering  how  he 
could  steal  into  his  own  domain  with  her  as  a  com- 
panion and  still  put  off  the  revelation  that  he  was 
not  yet  ready  to  make.  Now  the  way  was  compara- 
tively easy.  Once  the  demonstration  was  safely  over, 
he  could  carry  on  his  adventure  with  something  of  the 
same  security  that  made  the  prowlings  of  the  Bag- 
dad Caliphs  such  happy  enterprises,  for  he  could 
with  impunity  traverse  the  night  in  the  mantle  of  R. 
Schmidt. 

Immediately  upon  receiving  her  letter,  he  sent  for 
Quinnox  and  Gourou,  who  were  stopping  at  a  hotel 
nearby. 

"  I  am  ready  to  proceed  to  Edelweiss,  my  friends," 
said  he.  "  Miss  Guile  has  departed.  Will  you  book 
accommodations  on  the  earliest  train  leaving  for 
home?" 

"  I  have  already  seen  to  that,  highness,"  said  Gourou 
calmly.  '*  We  leave  at  six  this  evening.  Count  Quin- 
nox has  wired  the  Prime  Minister  that  you  will  arrive 


834        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

an  Edelweiss  at  three  to-morrow  afternoon,  God  will- 

ing." 

"  You  knew  that  she  had  gone  ?  " 

'*  I  happened  to  be  in  the  Nordbahnhof  when  she 
boarded  the  train  at  midnight,"  replied  the  Baron, 
unmoved. 

"Do  you  never  sleep?  "  demanded  Robin  hotly. 

"  Not  while  I  am  on  duty,"  said  Gourou. 

The  Prince  was  thoughtful,  his  brow  clouding  with 
a  troubled  frown.  "  I  suppose  I  shall  now  have  to 
face  my  people  with  the  confession  that  will  confirm 
their  worst  fears.  I  may  as  well  say  to  you,  my 
friends,  that  I  mean  to  make  her  my  wife  even  though 
it  costs  me  my  kingdom.  Am  I  asking  too  much  of 
you,  gentlemen,  when  I  solicit  your  support  in  my 
fight  against  the  prejudice  that  is  certain  to  — " 

Quinnox  stopped  him  with  a  profound  gesture  of 
resignation  and  a  single  word :  "  Kismet ! "  and 
Gourou,  with  his  most  ironic  smile,  added :  "  You 
may  count  on  us  to  support  the  crown,  highness,  even 
though  we  lose  our  heads." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Robin,  flushing.  "  Just  be- 
cause I  appear  to  have  lost  my  head  is  no  reason  for 
your  doing  the  same,  Baron  Gourou." 

The  Baron's  smile  was  unfaltering.  "  True,*5  he 
said.  "  But  we  may  be  able  to  avoid  all  that  by  in- 
ducing the  people  of  Graustark  to  lose  their  hearts." 

"  Do  you  think  they  will  accept  her  as  —  as  their 
princess  ?  "  cried  Robin,  hopefully. 

"  I  submit  that  it  will  first  be  necessary  for  you 


MR.  BLITHERS  IN  GRAUSTARK       335 

to  induce  Miss  Guile  to  accept  you  as  her  prince," 
said  Gourou  mildly.  "  That  doesn't  appear  to  be 
settled  at  present." 

He  took  alarm.  "  What  do  you  mean  ?  Your  re- 
mark has  a  sinister  sound.  Has  anything  transpired 
to  -> 

"  She  has  disappeared,  highness,  quite  effectually. 
That  is  all  that  I  can  say,"  said  Gourou,  and  Robin 
was  conscious  of  a  sudden  chill  and  the  rush  of  cold 
moisture  to  his  brow.  "  But  let  us  prepare  to  con- 
front an  even  more  substantial  condition.  A  pros- 
pective father-in-law  is  descending  upon  our  land. 
He  is  groping  in  the  dark  and  he  is  angry.  He  has 
lost  a  daughter  somewhere  in  the  wilds  of  Europe, 
and  he  realises  that  he  cannot  hope  to  become  the 
grandfather  of  princes  unless  he  can  produce  a 
mother  for  them.  At  present  he  seems  to  be  des- 
perate. He  doesn't  know  where  to  find  her,  as  Little 
Bo-peep  might  have  said.  We  may  expect  to  catch 
him  in  a  very  ugly  and  obstreperous  mood.  Have  I 
told  you  that  he  was  in  this  city  last  night?  He  ar- 
rived at  the  Bristol  a  few  hours  prior  to  the  signif- 
icant departure  of  Miss  Guile.  Moreover,  he  has 
chartered  a  special  train  and  is  leaving  to-day  for 
Edelweiss.  Count  Quinnox  has  taken  the  precaution 
to  advise  the  Prime  Minister  of  his  approach  and 
has  impressed  upon  him  the  importance  of  decrying 
any  sort  of  popular  demonstration  against  him  on  his 
arrival.  Romano  reports  that  the  people  are  in  an 
angry  mood.  I  would  suggest  that  you  prepare,  in 


836        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

a  way,  to  placate  them,  now  that  Miss  Guile  has  more 
or  less  dropped  out  of  sight.  It  behooves  you  to  — * 

"  See  here,"  broke  in  Robin  harshly,  "  have  yon 
had  the  effrontery  to  make  a  personal  appeal  to 
Miss  Guile  in  your  confounded  efforts  to  prevent 
the—" 

"  Just  a  moment,  Robin,"  exclaimed  Count  Quin- 
nox,  his  face  hardening.  "  I  am  sorry  to  hear  words 
of  anger  on  your  lips,  and  directed  toward  your  most 
loyal  friends.  You  ask  us  to  support  you  and  in  the 
next  breath  imply  that  we  are  unworthy.  It  is  be- 
neath the  dignity  of  either  Baron  Gourou  or  myself 
to  reply  to  your  ungenerous  charge." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Robin,  but  without  low- 
ering his  head.  He  was  not  convinced.  The  barb 
of  suspicion  had  entered  his  brain.  Were  they,  after 
all,  responsible  for  Bedelia's  flight?  Had  they  re- 
vealed his  identity  to  the  girl  and  afterward  created 
such  alarm  in  her  breast  that  she  preferred  to  slink 
away  in  the  night  rather  than  to  court  the  humilia- 
tion that  might  follow  if  she  presumed  to  wed  Graus- 
tark's  prince  in  opposition  to  his  country's  wish? 
"  You  must  admit  that  the  circumstance  of  her  se- 
cret flight  last  night  is  calculated  to  —  But,  no  mat- 
ter. We  will  drop  the  subject.  I  warn  you,  how- 
ever, that  my  mind  is  fixed.  I  shall  not  rest  until  I 
have  found  her." 

"  I  fancy  that  the  state  of  unrest  will  be  general," 
said  Gourou,  with  perfect  good-nature.  "  It  will  go 
Very  hard  with  Graustark  if  we  fail  to  find  her.  And 


MR.  BLITHERS  IN  GRAUSTARK       337 

now,  to  return  to  our  original  sin:  What  are  we  to 
do  about  the  ambitious  Mr.  Blithers?  He  is  on  my 
conscience  and  I  tremble." 

It  must  not  be  supposed  for  an  instant  that  the  City 
of  Edelweiss  and  the  court  of  Graustark  was  unim- 
pressed by  the  swift  approach  and  abrupt  arriva! 
of  Mr.  Blithers.  His  coming  had  been  heralded  for 
days  in  advance.  The  city  was  rudely  expectant,  the 
court  uneasy.  The  man  who  had  announced  his  de- 
termination to  manage  the  public  and  private  affairs 
of  the  principality  was  coming  to  town.  He  was 
coming  in  state,  there  could  be  no  doubt  about  that. 
More  than  that,  he  was  coming  to  propitiate  the  people 
whether  they  chose  to  be  mollified  or  not.  He  was 
bringing  with  him  a  vast  store  of  business  acumen,  an 
unexampled  confidence  and  the  self-assurance  of  one 
who  has  never  encountered  failure.  Shylock's  mantle 
rested  on  his  hated  shoulders,  and  Judas  Iscariot  was 
spoken  of  with  less  abhorrence  than  William  W. 
Blithers  by  the  Christian  country  of  Graustark.  He 
was  coming  to  get  better  acquainted  with  his  daugh- 
ter's future  subjects. 

Earlier  in  the  week  certain  polite  and  competent 
gentlemen  from  Berlin  had  appeared  at  the  Castle 
gates,  carrying  authority  from  the  dauntless  mil- 
lionaire. They  calmly  announced  that  they  had  come 
to  see  what  repairs  were  needed  in  and  about  the 
Castle  and  to  put  the  place  in  shape.  A  most  re- 
grettable incident  followed.  They  were  chased  out 
of  town  by  an  angry  mob  and  serious  complications 


338         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

with  the  German  Empire  were  likely  to  be  the  result 
of  the  outrage. 

Moreover,  the  citizens   of  Graustark  were  openly 
reluctant  to  deposit  their  state  bonds  as  security  for 
the  unpopular  loan,  and  there  was  a  lively  sentiment 
in  favour  of  renouncing  the  agreement  entered  into, 
by  the  cabinet. 

The  Prime  Minister,  in  the  absence  of  the  Prince, 
called  mass  meetings  in  all  the  towns  and  villages  and 
emissaries  of  the  crown  addressed  the  sullen  crowds. 
They  sought  to  clarify  the  atmosphere.  So  eloquent 
were  their  pleadings  and  so  sincere  their  promises 
that  no  evil  would  befall  the  state,  that  the  more  en- 
lightened of  the  people  began  to  deposit  their  bonds 
in  the  crown  treasury.  Others,  impressed  by  the  con- 
fidence of  their  more  prosperous  neighbours,  showed 
signs  of  weakening.  The  situation  was  made  clear 
to  them.  There  could  be  no  possible  chance  of  loss 
from  a  financial  point  of  view.  Their  bonds  were  safe, 
for  the  loan  itself  was  a  perfectly  legitimate  transac- 
tion, a  conclusion  which  could  not  be  gainsaid  by  the 
most  pessimistic  of  the  objectors.  Mr.  Blithers  would 
be  paid  in  full  when  the  time  came  for  settlement,  the 
bonds  would  be  restored  to  their  owners,  and  all  would 
be  well  with  Graustark. 

As  for  the  huge  transactions  Mr.  Blithers  had  made 
in  London,  Paris  and  Berlin,  there  could  be  but  one 
conclusion:  he  had  the  right  to  invest  his  money  as 
he  pleased.  That  was  his  look-out.  The  bonds  of 
Graustark  were  open  to  purchase  in  any  market. 


MR.  BLITHERS  IN  GRAUSTARK       339 

Any  investor  in  the  world  was  entitled  to  buy  all  that 
he  could  obtain  if  he  felt  inclined  to  put  his  money 
to  that  use.  The  earnest  agents  of  the  government 
succeeded  in  convincing  the  people  that  Mr.  Blithers 
had  made  a  good  investment  because  he  was  a  good 
business  man.  What  did  it  matter  to  Graustark  who 
owned  the  outstanding  bonds?  It  might  as  well  be 
Blithers  as  Bernstein  or  any  one  else. 

As  for  Miss  Blithers  becoming  the  Princess  of 
Graustark,  that  was  simple  poppy-cock,  declared  the 
speakers.  The  crown  could  take  oath  that  Prince 
Robin  would  not  allow  that  to  happen.  Had  he  not 
declared  in  so  many  words  that  he  would  never  wed 
the  daughter  of  William  Blithers,  and,  for  that  mat- 
ter, hadn't  the  young  woman  also  announced  that  she 
would  have  none  of  him?  There  was  one  thing  that 
Mr.  Blithers  couldn't  do,  and  that  was  to  marry  his 
daughter  to  the  Prince  of  Graustark. 

And  so,  by  the  time  that  Mr.  Blithers  arrived  in 
Edelweiss,  the  people  were  in  a  less  antagonistic  frame 
of  mind, —  though  sullenly  suspicious, —  and  were 
even  prepared  to  grin  in  their  sleeves,  for,  after  all, 
it  was  quite  clear  that  the  joke  was  not  on  them  but 
on  Mr.  Blithers. 

When  the  special  train  pulled  into  the  station  Mr. 
Blithers  turned  to  his  wife  and  said: 

"  Cheer  up,  Lou.     This  isn't  a  funeral." 

"  But  there  is  quite  a  mob  out  there,"  she  said, 
peering  through  the  car  window.  "  How  can  we  be 
sure  that  they  are  friendly  ?  " 


840         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Don't  you  worry,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  confidently. 
"  They  are  not  likely  to  throw  rocks  at  the  goose  that 
lays  the  golden  egg."  If  he  had  paused  to  think,  he 
would  not  have  uttered  such  a  careless  indictment. 
The  time  would  come  when  she  was  to  remind  him  of 
his  thoughtless  admission,  omitting,  however,  any 
reference  to  the  golden  egg. 

The  crowd  was  big,  immobile,  surly.  It  lined  the 
sidewalks  in  the  vicinity  of  the  station  and  stared 
with  curious,  half-closed  eyes  at  the  portly  capitalist 
and  his  party,  which,  by  the  way,  was  rendered  some- 
what imposing  in  size  by  augmentation  in  the  shape 
of  lawyers  from  Paris  and  London,  clerks  and  ste- 
nographers from  the  Paris  office,  and  four  plain 
clothes  men  who  were  to  see  to  it  that  Midas  wasn't 
blown  to  smithereens  by  envious  anarchists;  to  say 
nothing  of  a  lady's  maid,  a  valet,  a  private  secretary 
and  a  doctor.  (Mr.  Blithers  always  went  prepared 
for  the  worst.) 

He  was  somewhat  amazed  and  disgruntled  by  the 
absence  of  silk-hat  ambassadors  from  the  Castle,  with 
words  of  welcome  for  him  on  his  arrival.  There  was 
a  plentiful  supply  of  policemen  but  no  cabinet  min- 
insters.  He  was  on  the  point  of  censuring  his  sec- 
retary for  not  making  it  clear  to  the  government 
that  he  was  due  to  arrive  at  such  and  such  an  hour 
and  minute,  when  a  dapper  young  man  in  uniform  — 
he  couldn't  tell  whether  he  was  a  patrolman  or  a  cap- 
tain —  came  up  and  saluted. 

"  I  am  William  W.  Blithers,"  said  he  sharply. 


MR.  BLITHERS  IN  GRAUSTARK       341 

"  I  am  an  official  guide  and  interpreter,  sir,"  an- 
nounced the  young  man  suavely.  "  May  I  have  the 
honour  — " 

"  Not  necessary  —  not  necessary  at  all,"  exploded 
Mr.  Blithers.  "  I  can  get  about  without  a  guide.'5 

u  You  will  require  an  interpreter,  sir,"  began  the 
other,  only  to  be  waved  aside. 

"  Any  one  desiring  to  speak  to  me  will  have  to  do 
it  in  English,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  and  marched  out 
to  the  carriages. 

He  was  in  some  doubt  at  first,  but  as  his  carriage 
passed  swiftly  between  the  staring  ranks  on  the  side- 
walks, he  began  to  doff  his  hat  and  bow  to  the  right 
and  the  left.  His  smiles  were  returned  by  the  multi- 
tude, and  so  his  progress  was  more  or  less  of  a 
triumph  after  all. 

At  the  Regengetz  he  found  additional  cause  for  ir- 
ritation. The  lords  and  nobles  who  should  have  met 
him  at  the  railway  station  were  as  conspicuously  ab- 
sent in  the  rotunda  of  the  hotel.  No  one  was  there 
to  receive  him  except  the  ingratiating  manager  of  the 
establishment,  who  hoped  that  he  had  had  a  pleasant 
trip  and  who  assured  him  that  it  would  not  be  more 
than  a  couple  of  hours  before  his  rooms  would  be 
/vacated  by  the  people  who  now  had  them  but  were 
going  away  as  soon  as  the  procession  had  passed. 

"  Get  'em  out  at  once,"  stormed  Mr.  Blithers.  "  Do 
you  think  I  want  to  hang  around  this  infernal  lobby 
until  — " 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  the  manager  blandly,  "  but  your 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

rooms  will  not  be  ready  for  you  before  four  or  five 
o'clock.  They  are  occupied.  We  can  put  you  tem- 
porarily in  rooms  at  the  rear  if  your  lady  desires  to 
rest  and  refresh  herself  after  the  journey." 

"Well,  I'll  be — "  began  Mr.  Blithers,  purple  in 
the  face,  and  then  leaned  suddenly  against  the  counter, 
incapable  of  finishing  the  sentence. 

The  manager  rubbed  his  hands  and  smiled.  "  This 
is  one  of  our  gala  days,  Mr.  Blithers.  You  could  not 
have  arrived  at  a  time  more  opportune.  I  have  taken 
the  precaution  to  reserve  chairs  for  you  on  the  ve- 
randah. The  procession  will  pass  directly  in  front  of 
the  hotel  on  its  way  to  Castle  avenue." 

"What  procession?"  demanded  Mr.  Blithers.  He 
was  beginning  to  recall  the  presence  of  uniformed 
bands  and  mounted  troops  in  the  side  streets  near  the 
station. 

"  The  Prince  is  returning  to-day  from  his  trip 
around  the  world,"  said  the  manager. 

"  He  ought  to  have  been  back  long  ago,"  said  Mr. 
Blithers  wrathfully,  and  mopped  his  brow  with  a  hand 
rendered  unsteady  by  a  mental  convulsion.  He  was 
thinking  of  his  hat-lifting  experience. 

True  to  schedule,  the  procession  passed  the  hotel 
at  five.  Bands  were  playing,  people  were  shouting, 
banners  were  waving,  and  legions  of  mounted  and  foot 
soldiers  in  brilliant  array  clogged  the  thoroughfare. 
The  royal  equipage  rolled  slowly  by,  followed  by  less 
gorgeous  carriages  in  which  were  seated  the  men  who 


MR.  BLITHERS  IN  GRAUSTARK       343 

failed  to  make  the  advent  of  Mr.  Blithers  a  conspic- 
uous success. 

Prince  Robin  sat  in  the  royal  coach,  faced  by  two 
unbending  officers  of  the  Royal  Guard.  He  was  alone 
on  the  rear  seat,  and  his  brown,  handsome  face  was 
aglow  with  smiles.  Instead  of  a  hat  of  silk,  he  lifted 
a  gay  and  far  from  immaculate  conception  in  straw; 
instead  of  a  glittering  uniform,  he  wore  a  suit  of  blue 
serge  and  a  peculiarly  American  tie  of  crimson  hue. 
He  looked  more  like  a  popular  athlete  returning  from 
conquests  abroad  than  a  prince  of  ancient  lineage. 
But  the  crowd  cheered  itself  hoarse  over  this  bright- 
faced  youngster  who  rode  by  in  a  coach  of  gold  and 
brandished  a  singularly  unregal  chapeau. 

His  alert  eyes  were  searching  the  crowd  along  the 
street,  in  the  balconies  and  windows  with  an  eager 
intensity.  He  was  looking  for  the  sweet  familiar  face 
of  the  loveliest  girl  on  earth,  and  knew  that  he  looked 
in  vain,  for  even  though  she  were  one  among  the  many 
her  features  would  be  obscured  by  an  impenetrable 
veil.  If  she  were  there,  he  wondered  what  her 
thoughts  might  be  on  beholding  the  humble  R.  Schmidt 
in  the  role  of  a  royal  prince  receiving  the  laudations 
of  the  loving  multitude ! 

Passing  the  Regengetz,  his  eyes  swept  the  rows  of 
cheering  people  banked  upon  its  wide  terrace  and 
verandahs.  He  saw  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blithers  well  down 
in  front,  and  for  a  second  his  heart  seemed  to  stand 
still.  Would  she  be  with  them?  It  was  with  a  dis* 


344        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

tinct  sensation  of  relief  that  he  realised  that  she  was 
not  with  the  smiling  Americans. 

Mr.  Blithers  waved  his  hat  and,  instead  of  shout- 
ing the  incomprehensible  greeting  of  the  native  spec- 
tators, called  out  in  vociferous  tones : 

"  Welcome  home !     Welcome !     Hurrah !  " 

As  the  coach  swerved  into  the  circle  and  entered 
the  great,  tree-lined  avenue,  followed  by  the  clatter- 
ing chorus  of  four  thousand  horse-shoes,  Mrs. 
Blithers  after  a  final  glimpse  of  the  disappearing 
coach,  sighed  profoundly,  shook  out  her  handker- 
chief from  the  crumpled  ball  she  had  made  of  it  with 
her  nervously  clenched  fingers,  touched  her  lips  with 
it  and  said: 

"  Oh,  what  a  remarkably  handsome,  manly  boy  he 
is,  Will." 

Mr.  Blithers  nodded  his  head  proudly.  "  He  cer- 
tainly is.  I'll  bet  my  head  that  Maud  is  crazy  about 
him  already.  She  can't  help  it,  Lou.  That  trip  on 
the  Jupiter  was  a  God-send." 

"  I  wish  we  could  hear  something  from  her,"  said 
Mrs.  Blithers,  anxiously. 

"  Don't  you  worry,"  said  he.  "  She'll  turn  up  safe 
and  sound  and  enthusiastic  before  she's  a  week  older. 
We'll  have  plain  sailing  from  now  on,  Lou." 


CHAPTER     XXII 

A    VISIT    TO    THE    CASTLE 

MR.  BUTHERS  indeed  experienced  plain  sailing  for 
the  ensuing  twenty  hours.  It  was  not  until  just  be- 
fore he  set  forth  at  two  the  next  afternoon  to 
attend,  by  special  appointment,  a  meeting  of  the  cab- 
inet in  the  council  chamber  at  the  Castle  that  he  en- 
countered the  first  symptom  of  squalls  ahead. 

He  had  sent  his  secretary  to  the  Castle  with  a  brief 
note  suggesting  an  early  conference.  It  naturally 
would  be  of  an  informal  character,  as  there  was  no 
present  business  before  them.  The  contracts  had  al- 
ready been  signed  by  the  government  and  by  his 
authorised  agents.  So  far  as  the  loan  was  concerned 
there  was  nothing  more  to  be  said.  Everything  was 
settled.  True,  it  was  still  necessary  to  conform  to  a 
certain  custom  by  having  the  Prince  affix  his  signa- 
ture to  the  contract  over  the  Great  Seal  of  State,  but 
as  he  previously  had  signed  an  agreement  in  New  York 
this  brief  act  was  of  a  more  or  less  perfunctory  na- 
ture. 

The  deposit  of  bonds  by  the  state  and  its  people 
would  follow  in  course  of  time,  as  prescribed  by  con- 
tract,  and  Mr.  Blithers  was  required  to  place  in  the 
Bank  of  Graustark,  on  such  and  such  a  date,  the  sum 
of  three  million  pounds  sterling.  Everybody  was  sat- 


346         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

isfied  with  the  terms  of  the  contract.  Mr.  Blithers 
was  to  get  what  really  amounted  to  nearly  nine  per- 
cent on  a  gilt-edged  investment,  and  Graustark  was  to 
preserve  its  integrity  and  retain  its  possessions. 

There  was  a  distant  cloud  on  the  financial  horizon, 
however,  a  vague  shadow  at  present, —  but  prophetic 
of  storm.  It  was  perfectly  clear  to  the  nobles  that 
when  these  bonds  matured,  Mr.  Blithers  would  be  in  a 
position  to  exact  payment,  and  as  they  matured  in 
twelve  years  from  date  he  was  likely  to  be  pretty 
much  alive  and  kicking  when  the  hour  of  reckoning 
arrived. 

Mr.  Blithers  was  in  the  mood  to  be  amiable.  He 
anticipated  considerable  pleasure  in  visiting  the  an- 
cient halls  of  his  prospective  grandchildren.  During 
the  forenoon  he  had  taken  a  motor  ride  about  the  city 
with  Mrs.  Blithers,  accompanied  by  a  guide  who 
created  history  for  them  with  commendable  glibness 
and  some  veracity,  and  pointed  out  the  homes  of  great 
personages  as  well  as  the  churches,  monuments  and 
museums.  He  also  told  them  in  a  confidential  under- 
tone that  the  Prince  was  expected  to  marry  a  beauti- 
ful American  girl  and  that  the  people  were  enchanted 
with  the  prospect!  That  sly  bit  of  information 
realised  ten  dollars  for  him  at  the  end  of  the  trip, 
aside  from  his  customary  fee. 

The  first  shock  to  the  placidity  of  Mr.  Blithers 
came  with  the  brief  note  in  reply  to  his  request  for  an 
informal  conference.  The  Lord  Chamberlain  curtly 
informed  him  that  the  Cabinet  would  be  in  session  at 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  34T 

two  and  would  be  pleased  to  grant  him  an  audience  of 
half  an  hour,  depending  on  his  promptness  in  appear- 
ing. 

Mr.  Blithers  was  not  accustomed  to  being  granted 
audiences.  He  had  got  into  the  habit  of  having  them 
thrust  upon  him.  It  irritated  him  tremendously  to 
have  any  one  measure  time  for  him.  Why,  even  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  the  Senate,  or  the  Dis- 
trict Attorney  in  New  York  couldn't  do  that  for  him. 
And  here  was  a  whipper-snapper  Lord  Chamberlain 
telling  him  that  the  Cabinet  would  grant  him  half-an- 
hour!  He  managed  to  console  himself,  however,  with, 
the  thought  that  matters  would  not  always  be  as  they 
were  at  present.  There  would  be  a  decided  change  of 
tune  later  on. 

It  would  be  folly  to  undertake  the  depiction  of  Mr. 
Blithers'  first  impressions  of  the  Castle  and  its  glories, 
both  inside  out.  To  begin  with,  he  lost  no  small 
amount  of  his  assurance  when  he  discovered  that  the 
great  gates  in  the  wall  surrounding  the  park  were 
guarded  by  resplendent  dragoons  who  politely  de- 
manded his  "  pass."  After  the  officer  in  charge  had 
inspected  the  Lord  Chamberlain's  card  as  if  he  had 
never  seen  one  before,  he  ceremoniously  indicated  to 
ft  warden  that  the  gates  were  to  be  opened.  There  was 
a  great  clanking  of  chains,  the  drawing  of  iron  bolts, 
the  whirl  of  a  windlass,  and  the  ponderous  gates  swung 
slowly  ajar. 

Mr.  Blithers  caught  his  breath  —  and  from  that  in- 
stant until  he  found  himself  crossing  the  great  hall 


3*8         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

in  the  wake  of  an  attendant  delegated  to  conduct  him 
to  the  council  chamber  his  sensations  are  not  to  be 
described.  It  is  only  necessary  to  say  that  he  was 
in  a  reverential  condition,  and  that  is  saying  a  great 
deal  for  Mr.  Blithers.  A  certain  bombastic  confi- 
dence in  himself  gave  way  to  mellow  timidity.  He 
was  in  a  new  world.  He  was  cognisant  of  a  distinct 
sensation  of  awe.  His  ruthless  Wall  Street  tread  be- 
came a  mincing,  uncertain  shuffle;  he  could  not  con- 
quer the  absurd  notion  that  he  ought  to  tip-toe  his 
way  about  these  ancient  halls  with  their  thick,  velvety 
rugs  and  whispering  shadows. 

Everywhere  about  him  was  pomp,  visible  and  in- 
visible. It  was  in  the  great  stairway,  the  vaulted 
ceilings,  the  haughty  pillars,  over  all  of  which  was  the 
sheen  of  an  age  that  surpassed  his  comprehension. 
Rigid  servitors  watched  his  progress  through  the  vast 
spaces  —  men  with  grim,  unsmiling  faces.  He  knew, 
without  seeing,  that  this  huge  pile  was  alive  with  noble 
lords  and  ladies :  The  court !  Gallantry  and  beauty 
to  mock  him  with  their  serene  indifference ! 

Somewhere  in  this  great  house  beautiful  women 
were  idling,  or  feasting,  or  dreaming.  He  was  con- 
scious of  their  presence  all  about  him,  and  shrank 
slightly  as  he  wondered  if  they  were  scrutinising  his 
ungainly  person.  He  was  suddenly  ashamed  of  his 
tight-fitting  cut-a-way  coat  and  striped  trousers. 
Really  he  ought  to  get  a  new  suit!  These  garments 
were  much  too  small  for  him. 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  849 

Were  ironic  eyes  taking  in  the  fresh  creases  in 
those  New  York  trousers?  Were  they  regarding  his 
shimmering  patent  leather  shoes  with  an  intelligence 
that  told  them  that  he  was  in  pain?  Were  they  won- 
dering how  much  he  weighed  and  why  he  didn't  unbut- 
ton his  coat  when  he  must  have  known  that  it  would 
look  better  if  it  didn't  pinch  him  so  tightly  across  the 
chest?  Above  all  things,  were  they  smiling  at  the 
corpulent  part  of  him  that  preceded  the  rest  of  his 
body,  clad  in  an  immaculate  waistcoat?  He  never 
had  felt  so  conspicuous  in  his  life,  nor  so  certain  that 
he  was  out  of  place. 

Coming  in  due  time  —  and  with  a  grateful  heart  — 
to  a  small  ante-chamber,  he  was  told  to  sit  down  and 
wait.  He  sat  down  very  promptly.  In  any  other 
house  he  would  have  sauntered  around,  looking  at  the 
emblems,  crests  and  shields  that  hung  upon  the  walls. 
But  now  he  sat  and  wondered.  He  wondered  whether 
this  could  be  William  W.  Blithers.  Was  this  one  of 
the  richest  men  in  the  world  —  this  fellow  sitting  here 
with  his  hands  folded  tightly  across  his  waistcoat? 
He  was  forced  to  admit  that  it  was  and  at  the  same 
time  it  wasn't. 

The  attendant  returned  and  he  was  ushered  into  a 
second  chamber,  at  the  opposite  end  of  which  was  a 
large,  imposing  door  —  closed.  Beside  this  door 
stood  a  slim,  erect  figure  in  the  red,  blue  and  gold  uni- 
form of  an  officer  of  the  Castle  guard.  As  Mr. 
Blithers  approached  this  rigid  figure,  he  recognised 


350         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

a  friend  and  a  warm  glow  pervaded  his  heart.  Therfc 
could  be  no  mistaking  the  smart  moustache  and  super- 
cilious eye-brows.  It  was  Lieutenant  Dank. 

"  How  do  you.  do?  "  said  Mr.  Blithers.  "  Glad  to 
see  you  again."  His  voice  sounded  unnatural.  He 
extended  his  hand. 

Dank  gave  him  a  ceremonious  salute,  bowed  slightly 
but  without  a  smile,  and  then  threw  open  the  door. 

"  Mr.  Blithers,  my  lords,"  he  announced,  and  stood 
aside  to  let  the  stranger  in  a  strange  land  pass  within. 

A  number  of  men  were  seated  about  a  long  table 
in  the  centre  of  this  imposing  chamber.  No  one 
«,rose  as  Mr.  Blithers  entered  the  room  and  stopped 
just  inside  the  door.  He  heard  it  close  gently  be- 
hind him.  He  was  at  a  loss  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life.  He  didn't  know  whether  he  was  to  stop  just 
inside  the  door  fingering  his  hat  like  a  messenger  Boy, 
or  go  forward  and  join  the  group.  His  gaze  fell  upon 
a  huge  oaken  chair  at  the  far  end  of  the  table.  It 
was  the  only  unoccupied  seat  that  came  within  the 
scope  of  his  rather  limited  vision.  He  could  not  see 
anything  beyond  the  table  and  the  impassive  group 
that  surrounded  it.  Was  it  possible  that  the  big 
chair  was  intended  for  him?  If  so,  how  small  and  in- 
significant he  would  look  upon  it.  He  had  a  ghastly 
notion  that  his  feet  would  not  touch  the  floor,  and 
he  went  so  far  as  to  venture  the  hope  that  there  would 
be  a  substantial  round  somewhere  about  midway  from 
the  bottom. 

He  had  appeared  before  the  inquisitorial  commit- 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  351 

tees  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  had  not  been  op- 
pressed by  the  ponderous  gravity  of  the  investigation. 
He  had  faced  the  Senators  without  a  tremor  of  awe. 
He  had  even  regarded  them  with  a  confidence,  equal 
if  not  superior  to  their  own.  But  now  he  faced  a 
calm,  impassive  group  of  men  who  seemed  to  strip 
him  down  to  the  flesh  with  a  cool,  piercing  interest^ 
*nd  who  were  in  no  sense  impressed  by  what  they  saw. 

Despite  his  nervousness  he  responded  to  the  life 
long  habit  of  calculation.  He  counted  the  units  in 
the  group  in  a  single,  rapid  glance,  and  found  that 
there  were  eleven.  Eleven  lords  of  the  realm! 
Eleven  stern,  dignified,  unsmiling  strangers  to  the  ar- 
rogance of  William  W.  Blithers !  Something  told  him 
at  once  that  he  could  not  spend  an  informal  half-hour 
with  them.  Grim,  striking,  serious  visages,  all  of 
them!  The  last  hope  for  his  well-fed  American 
humour  flickered  and  died.  He  knew  that  it  would 
never  do  to  regale  them  in  an  informal  off-hand  way 
—  as  he  had  planned  —  with  examples  of  native  wit. 

Reverting  to  the  precise  moment  of  his  entrance  to 
the  Castle,  we  find  Mr.  Blithers  saying  to  himself  that 
there  wasn't  the  slightest  use  in  even  hoping  that  he 
might  be  invited  to  transfer  his  lodgings  from  the 
Regengetz  to  the  Royal  bed-chambers.  The  chance 
of  being  invited  to  dine  there  seemed  to  dwindle  as 
well.  While  he  sat  and  waited  in  the  first  ante- 
chamber he  even  experienced  strange  misgivings  in 
respect  to  parental  privileges  later  on. 

After  what  appeared  to  him  to  be  an  interminable- 


352        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

length  of  time,  but  in  reality  no  more  than  a  few  sec- 
onds, a  tall  man  arose  from  his  seat  and  advanced  with 
outstretched  hand.  Mr.  Blithers  recognised  Count 
Quinnox,  the  Minister  of  War.  He  shook  that  friendly 
hand  with  a  fervour  that  must  have  surprised  the 
Count.  Never  in  all  his  life  had  he  been  so  glad  to 
see  any  one. 

"  How  are  you,  my  lord,"  said  the  king  of  finance, 
fairly  meek  with  gratefulness. 

"  Excellently  well,  Mr.  Blithers,"  returned  the 
Count.  "And  you?" 

"  Never  better,  never  better,"  said  Mr.  Blithers, 
again  pumping  the  Count's  hand  up  and  down  —  with 
even  greater  heartiness  than  before.  "  Glad  to  see 
you.  Isn't  it  a  pleasant  day?  I  was  telling  Mrs. 
Blithers  this  morning  that  I'd  never  seen  a  pleasanter 
day.  We—" 

"  Let  me  introduce  you  to  my  colleagues,  Mr. 
Blithers,"  interrupted  the  Count. 

"  Happy,  I'm  sure,"  mumbled  Mr.  Blithers.  To 
save  his  life,  he  couldn't  tell  what  had  got  into  him. 
He  had  never  acted  like  this  before. 

The  Count  was  mentioning  the  names  of  dukes, 
counts  and  barons,  and  Mr.  Blithers  was  bowing  pro- 
foundly to  each  in  turn.  No  one  offered  to  shake 
hands  with  him,  although  each  rose  politely,  even 
graciously.  They  even  smiled.  He  remembered  that 
very  well  afterwards.  They  smiled  kindly,  almost 
benignly.  He  suddenly  realised  what  had  got  into 
him.  It  was  respect. 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  35$ 

"  A  chair,  Franz,"  said  the  white  haired,  gaunt 
man  who  was  called  Baron  Romano.  "  Will  you  sit 
here,  Mr.  Blithers?  Pray  forgive  our  delay  in  ad- 
mitting you.  We  were  engaged  in  a  rather  serious 
discussion  over — " 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  magnan- 
imously.    "  Am    I    interfering    with    any    important 
business,  gent — my  lords?     If  so,  just — " 
"  Not  at  all,  Mr.  Blithers.     Pray  be  seated." 
"  Sure  I'm  not  taking  any  one's  seat?  " 
"  A  secretary's,  sir.     He  can  readily  find  another." 
Mr.  Blithers  sat  down.     He  was  rather  pleased  ta 
find  that  the  big  chair  was  not  meant  for  him.     A 
swift  intuition  told  him  that  it  was  reserved  for  the 
country's  ruler. 

"  The  Prince  signed  the  contracts  just  before  you 
arrived,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said  Baron  Romano.  "  The 
seal  has  been  affixed  to  each  of  the  documents,  and 
your  copy  is  ready  for  delivery  at  any  time." 

Mr.  Blithers  recovered  himself  slightly.  "-You 
may  send  it  to  the  hotel,  Baron,  at  any  time  to-mor- 
row. My  lawyers  will  have  a  look  at  it."  Then  he 
made  haste  to  explain :  "  Not  that  it  is  really  neces- 
sary, but  just  as  a  matter  of  form.  Besides,  it  gives 
the  lawyers  something  to  do."  He  sent  an  investi- 
gating glance  around  the  room. 

"  The  Prince  has  retired,"  said  the  Baron,  divining 
the  thought.  "  He  does  not  remain  for  the  discus- 
sions." Glancing  at  the  huge  old  clock  above  the 
door,  the  Prime  Minister  assumed  a  most  business-like 


654        THE  PRINCE  01!  GRAUSTARK 

air.  "  It  will  doubtless  gratify  you  to  know  that 
three-fourths  of  the  bonds  have  been  deposited,  Mr. 
Blithers,  and  the  remainder  will  be  gathered  in  dur- 
ing the  week.  Holders  living  in  remote  corners  of  our 
country  have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  reach  us  with 
their  securities.  A  week  will  give  them  sufficient  timej 
will  it  not,  Count  Lazzar  ?  " 

"  I  may  safely  say  that  all  the  bonds  will  be  in  our 
hands  by  next  Tuesday  at  the  latest,"  said  the  Min- 
ister of  the  Treasury.  He  was  a  thin,  ascetic  man; 
his  keen  eyes  were  fixed  rather  steadily  upon  Mr. 
Blithers.  After  a  moment's  pause,  he  went  on :  "  We 
a,re  naturally  interested  in  your  extensive  purchases 
of  our  outstanding  bonds,  Mr.  Blithers.  I  refer  to 
the  big  blocks  you  have  acquired  in  London,  Paris  and 
Berlin." 

"  Want  to  know  what  I  bought  them  for  ?  "  in- 
quired Mr.  Blithers  amiably. 

4  We  have  wondered  not  a  little  at  your  readiness 
to  invest  such  a  fortune  in  our  securities." 

"  Well,  there  you  have  it.  Investment,  that's  all. 
YOUT  credit  is  sound,  and  your  resources  unques- 
tioned., your  bonds  gilt-edge.  I  am  glad  of  the  op- 
portunity to  take  a  few  dollars  out  of  Wall  Street 
uncertainties  and  put  'em  into  something  absolutely 
certain.  Groo  —  Gras  —  er  —  Groostock  bonds  are 
pretty  safe  things  to  have  lying  in  a  safety  vault  in 
these  times  of  financial  unrest.  They  create  a  pretty 
solid  fortune  for  my  family, —  that  is  to  say,  for  my 
daughter  and  her  children.  A  sensible  business  man, 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  355 

—  and  I  claim  to  be  one, —  looks  ahead,  my  lords. 
Railroads  are  all  right  as  long  as  you  are  alive  and 
can  run  them  yourself.  It's  after  you  are  dead  that 
they  fail  to  do  what  is  expected  of  them.  New  fingers 
get  into  the  pie,  and  you  never  can  tell  what  they'll 
pull  out  in  their  greediness.  I  cannot  imagine  any- 
thing safer  in  the  shape  of  an  investment  than  the 
bonds  of  a  nation  that  .has  a  debt  of  less  than  fifty 
million  dollars.  As  a  citizen  of  a  republic  whose  na- 
tional debt  is  nearly  a  billion,  I  confess  that  I  can't 
see  how  you've  managed  so  well." 

"  We  are  so  infinitesimal,  Mr.  Blithers,  that  I  dare- 
say we  could  be  lost  in  the  smallest  of  your  states," 
said  Baron  Romano,  with  a  smile. 

"  Rhode  Island  is  pretty  small,"  Mr.  Blithers  in- 
formed him,  .without  a  smile. 

"  It  is  most  .gratifying  to  Graustark  to  know  that 
you  value  our  securities  so  highly  as  a  legacy,"  said 
Count  Lazzar,  suavely.  "  May  I  venture  the  hope, 
however,  that  your  life  may  be  prolonged  beyond  the 
term  of  their  existence?  They  expire  .in  a  very  few 
years  —  a  dozen,  in  fact." 

"  Oh,  I  think  I  can  hang  on  that  long,"  said  Mr. 
Blithers,  a  little  more  at  ease.  He  was  saying  to  him- 
self that  these  fellows  were  not  so  bad,  after  all. 
"  Still  one  never  knows.  I  may  be  dead  in  a  year. 
My  daughter  —  but,  of  course,  you  will  pardon  me 
if  I  don't  go  into  my  private  affairs.  I  fear  I  have 
Already  said  too  much." 

"  On  the  contrary,  sir,  we  are  all  only  too  willing 


356        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

to  be  edified.  The  workings  of  an  intelligence  such 
as  yours  cannot  fail  to  be  of  interest  to  us  who  are 
so  lacking  in  the  power  to  cope  with  great  undertak- 
ings. I  confess  to  a  selfish  motive  in  asking  you  about 
your  methods  of  —  er  —  investment,"  said  the  Min- 
ister of  Finance.  Mr.  Blithers  failed  to  see  that  he 
was  shrewdly  being  led  up  to  a  matter  that  was  of 
more  importance  to  Graustark  just  then  than  any- 
thing along  financial  lines. 

"  I  am  only  too  willing,  my  lords,  to  give  you  the 
benefit  of  my  experience.  Any  questions  that  you 
may  care  to  ask,  I'll  be  glad  to  answer  to  the  best  of 
my  ability.  It  is  only  natural  that  I  should  take  a 
great  personal  interest  in  Graustock  from  now  on. 
I  want  to  see  the  country  on  the  boom.  I  want  to 
see  it  taking  advantage  of  all  the  opportunities  that 
—  er  —  come  its  way.  There  may  be  a  few  pointers 
that  William  W.  Blithers  can  give  you  in  suspect  td 
your  railways  and  mines  —  and  your  general  policyv 
perhaps.  I  hope  you  won't  hesitate  about  asking."' 

The  Prime  Minister  tapped  reflectively  upon  th* 
table-top  with  his  fingers  for  a  moment  or  two. 

"  Thank  you,"  he  said.  "  We  are  at  this  very 
moment  in  something  of  a  quandary  in  respect  to  the 
renewal  of  a  treaty  with  one  of  our  neighbours.  For 
the  past  twenty  years  we  have  been  in  alliance  with 
our  next  door  neighbours,  Axphain  on  the  north  and 
Dawsbergen  on  the  south  and  east.  The  triple  al* 
liance  will  end  this  year  unless  renewed.  Up  to  the 
present  our  relations  have  been  most  amiable.  Ax- 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  357 

phain  stands  ready  to  extend  our  mutual  protective 
agreement  for  another  term  of  years,  but  Dawsbergen 
is  lukewarm  and  inclined  to  withdraw.  When  you 
become  better  acquainted  with  the  politics  of  our 
country  you  will  understand  how  regrettable  such  an 
action  on  the  part  of  a  hitherto  friendly  government 
will  be." 

"  What's  the  grievance  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Blithers, 
bluntly.  He  was  edging  into  familiar  waters  now. 
"  What's  the  matter  with  Dawsbergen?  Money  con- 
troversy ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Lazzar  hastily. 

"  Why  not  let  'em  withdraw?  "  said  Mr.  Blithers. 
"  We  can  get  along  without  them." 

There  was  a  general  uplifting  of  heads  at  the  use 
of  the  pronoun,  and  a  more  fixed  concentration  of 
gaze. 

"  I  daresay  you  are  already  acquainted  with  the 
desire  on  the  part  of  Dawsbergen  to  form  an  alliance 
in  which  Axphain  can  have  no  part,"  said  Baron  Ro- 
mano. "  In  other  words,  it  has  been  the  desire  of 
both  Dawsbergen  and  Graustark  to  perfect  a  matri- 
monial alliance  that  may  cement  the  fortunes  of  the 
two  countries  — " 

"  Count  Quinnox  mentioned  something  of  the  sort," 
interrupted  Mr.  Blithers.  "  But  suppose  this  matri- 
monial alliance  doesn't  come  off,  who  would  be  the  suf- 
ferer, you  or  Dawsbergen?  Who  will  it  benefit  the 
most?" 

There  was  a  moment's  silence.     Doubtless  it  had 


358         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

never  occurred  to  the  Ministry  to  speculate  on  the 
point. 

"  Dawsbergen  is  a  rich,  powerful  country,"  said 
Romano.  "  We  will  be  the  gainers  by  such  an  al- 
liance, Mr.  Blithers." 

"  I  don't  go  much  on  alliances,"  said  the  capitalist. 
'*'  I  believe  in  keeping  out  of  them  if  possible." 

"  I  see,"  said  the  Baron  reflectively.  There  was 
another  silence.  Then :  "  It  has  come  to  our  notice 
in  a  most  direct  manner  that  the  Prince  of  Dawsber- 
gen  feels  that  his  friendly  consideration  of  a  proposal 
made  by  our  government  some  years  ago  is  being  dis- 
regarded in  a  manner  that  can  hardly  be  anything 
but  humiliating  to  him,  not  only  as  a  sovereign  but  as 
a  father." 

"  He's  the  one  who  has  the  marriageable  daughter, 
eh?  I  had  really  forgotten  the  name." 

The  Baron  leaned  forward,  still  tapping  the  table- 
top  with  his  long,  slim  fingers. 

"  The  report  that  Prince  Robin  is  to  marry  your 
daughter,  Mr.  Blithers,  has  reached  his  ears.  It  is 
only  natural  that  he  should  feel  resentful.  For  fif- 
teen years  there  has  been  an  understanding  that  the 
Crown  Princess  of  Dawsbergen  and  the  Prince  of 
Graustark  were  one  day  to  be  wedded  to  each  other. 
You  will  admit  that  the  present  reports  are  somewhat 
distressing  to  him  and  unquestionably  so  to  the  Crown 
Princess." 

Mr.  Blithers  settled  back  in  his  chair.     "  It  seems 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  859- 

to  me  that  he  is  making  a  mountain  out  of  a  mole- 
hill." 

Baron  Romano  shrank  perceptibly.  "  It  devolves 
upon  me,  sir,  as  spokesman  for  the  Ministry,  the 
court  and  the  people  of  Graustark,  to  inform  you  that 
marriage  between  our  Prince  and  any  other  than 
the  Crown  Princess  of  Dawsbergen  is  not  to  be  con- 
sidered as  possible." 

Mr.  Blithers  stared.  "  Hasn't  the  Prince  any  voice 
in  the  matter?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Yes.  He  has  already  denied,  somewhat  publicly, 
that  he  is  not  contemplating  marriage  with  your 
daughter.  He  has  had  a  voice  in  that  matter  at 
least." 

A  fine  moisture  started  out  on  the  purplish  brow  of 
Mr.  Blithers.  Twenty-two  eyes  were  upon  him.  He 
realised  that  he  was  not  attending  an  informal  confer- 
ence. He  had  been  brought  here  for  a  deliberate  pur- 
pose. 

"  I  may  be  permitted  the  privilege  of  reminding 
you,  my  lords,  that  his  denial  was  no  more  emphatic 
than  that  expressed  by  my  daughter,"  he  said,  with 
real  dignity. 

"  We  have  accepted  her  statement  as  final,  but  it 
is  our  earnest  desire  that  the  minds  of  the  people  be 
set  at  rest,"  said  the  Baron  gravely.  "  I  sincerely 
trust  that  you  will  appreciate  our  position,  Mr. 
Blithers.  It  is  not  our  desire  or  intention  to  offend 
in  this  matter,  but  we  believe  it  to  be  only  fair  and 


360        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

just  that  we  should  understand  each  other  at  the  out= 
set.      The  impression  is  afoot  that — " 

"  My  lords,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  rising,  his  face  sud- 
denly pale,  "  I  beg  leave  to  assure  you  that  my  daugh- 
ter's happiness  is  of  far  more  importance  to  me  than 
all  the  damned  principalities  in  the  world.  Just  a 
moment,  please.  I  apologise  for  the  oath  —  but  I 
mean  it,  just  the  same.  I  do  not  resent  your  atti- 
tude, nor  do  I  resent  your  haste  in  conveying  to  me 
your  views  on  the  subject.  It  may  be  diplomacy  to 
go  straight  to  a  question  and  get  it  over  with,  but  it 
isn't  always  diplomatic  to  go  off  half-cocked.  I  will 
say,  with  perfect  candour,  that  I  should  like  to  see  my 
daughter  the  Princess  of  Graustark,  but  —  by  God! 
I  want  you  to  understand  that  her  own  wishes  in  the 
matter  are  to  govern  mine  in  the  end.  I  have  had 
this  marriage  in  mind,  there's  no  use  denying  it.  I 
have  schemed  to  bring  these  two  young  people  to- 
gether with  c,  single  object  in  view.  I  knew  that  if 
they  saw  enough  of  each  other  they  would  fall  in  love, 
and  they  woulc  want  the  happiness  that  love  brings  to 
all  people.  «Jnst  a  moment,  Baron!  I  want  to  say 
to  you  now,  all.  of  you,  that  if  my  girl  should  love  your 
prince  and  he  should  love  her  in  return,  there  isn't 
a  power  below  heaven  that  can  keep  them  apart.  If 
she  doesn't  love  him,  and  he  should  be  unlucky  enough 
to  love  her,  I'd  see  him  hanged  before  he  could  have 
her.  I'll  admit  that  I  have  counted  on  seeing  all  of 
this  come  to  pass,  and  that  I  have  bungled  the  thing 
pretty  badly  because  I'm  a  loving,  selfish  father, — 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE 

but,  my  lords,  since  you  have  brought  me  here  to  tell 
me  that  it  is  impossible  for  my  girl  to  marry  youi" 
prince,  I  will  say  to  you,  here  and  now,  that  if  they 
ever  love  each  other  and  want  to  get  married,  I'll  see 
to  it  that  it  isn't  impossible.  You  issue  an  ultimatum 
to  me,  in  plain  words,  so  I'll  submit  one  to  you,  in 
equally  plain  words.  I  intend  to  leave  this  matter 
entirely  to  my  daughter  and  Prince  Robin.  They  are 
to  do  the  deciding,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned.  And  if 
they  decide  that  they  love  each  other  and  want  to  get 
married,  they  will  get  married.  Do  I  make  myself 
perfectly  plain,  my  lords  ?  " 

The  dignified  Ministry  of  Graustark  sat  agape. 
With  his  concluding  words,  Mr.  Blithers  deposited 
iis  clenched  fist  upon  the  table  with  a  heavy  thud, 
and,  as  if  fascinated,  every  eye  shifted  from  his  face 
to  the  white  knuckles  of  that  resolute  hand. 

Baron  Romano  also  arose.  "  You  place  us  in  the 
extremely  distressing  position  of  being  obliged  to  op- 
pose the  hand  of  a  benefactor,  Mr.  Blithers.  You 
have  come  to  our  assistance  in  a  time  of  need.  You 
have  — " 

"  If  it  is  the  loan  you  are  talking  about,  Baron, 
that  is  quite  beside  the  question,"  interrupted  Mr. 
Blithers.  "  I  do  not  speculate.  I  may  have  had  a 
personal  motive  in  lending  you  this  money,  but  I  don't 
believe  you  will  find  that  it  enters  into  the  contract 
we  have  signed.  I  don't  lend  money  for  charity's 
sake.  I  sometimes  give  it  to  charity,  but  when  it 
comes  to  business,  I  am  not  charitable.  I  have  made 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

a  satisfactory  loan  and  I  am  not  complaining.  You 
may  leave  out  the  word  benefactor,  Baron.  It  doesn't 
belong  in  the  game." 

"  As  you  please,  sir,"  said  Romano  coldly.  "  We 
were  only  intent  upon  conveying  to  you  our  desire 
to  maintain  friendly  relations  with  you,  Mr.  Blithers, 
despite  the  unpleasant  conditions  that  have  arisen. 
I  may  at  least  question  your  right  to  assume  that 
we  are  powerless  to  prevent  a  marriage  that  is 
manifestly  unpopular  with  the  subjects  of  Prince 
Robin." 

"  I  had  it  on  excellent  authority  to-day  that  the 
people  are  not  opposed  to  the  union  of  my  daughter 
and  the  prince,"  said  Mr.  Blithers. 

"  I  am  compelled  to  say  that  you  have  been  misin- 
formed," said  the  Baron,  flatly. 

"  I  think  I  have  not  been  misinformed,  however, 
concerning  the  personal  views  of  Prince  Robin.  If 
I  am  not  mistaken,  he  openly  declares  that  he  will 
marry  to  suit  himself  and  not  the  people  of  Graus- 
tark.  Isn't  it  barely  possible,  my  lords,  that  he  may 
have  something  to  say  about  who  he  is  to  marry  ?  " 

"  I  confess  that  his  attitude  is  all  that  you  de- 
scribe," said  the  Baron.  "  He  has  announced  his 
views  quite  plainly.  We  admit  that  he  may  have 
something  to  say  about  it." 

"  Then  I  submit  that  it  isn't  altogether  an  improb- 
ability that  he  may  decide  to  marry  according  to  the 
dictates  of  his  heart  and  not  for  the  sake  of  appear- 
ances," said  Mr.  Blithers  scathingly.  "I  have  an 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  363 

idea  that  he  will  marry  the  girl  he  loves,  no  matter 
who  she  may  be." 

Count  Quinnox  and  Baron  Gourou  exchanged 
glances.  These  two  men  were  guilty  of  having  kept 
from  their  colleagues  all  information  concerning  a  cer- 
tain Miss  Guile.  They,  as  well  as  Dank,  were  bound 
by  a  promise  exacted  by  their  sovereign  prince.  They 
alone  knew  that  Mr.  Blithers  was  supported  by  an  in- 
controvertible truth.  For  the  present,  their  lips  were 
sealed,  and  yet  they  faced  that  anxious  group  with  a 
complete  understanding  of  the  situation.  They  knew 
that  Mr.  Blithers  was  right.  Prince  Robin  would 
marry  the  girl  that  he  loved,  and  no  other.  They 
knew  that  their  prince  expected  to  marry  the  daughter 
of  the  man  who  now  faced  these  proud  noblemen  and 
virtually  defied  them! 

"Am  I  not  right,  Count  Quinnox?"  demanded  Mr. 
Blithers,  turning  suddenly  upon  the  Minister  of  War. 
"  You  are  in  a  position  to  know  something  about  him. 
Am  I  not  right?  " 

Every  eye  was  on  the  Count.  *'  Prince  Robin  will 
marry  for  love,  my  lords,"  he  said  quietly.  "  I  am 
forced  to  agree  with  Mr.  Blithers." 

Baron  Romano  sank  into  his  chair.  There  wai 
silence  in  the  room  for  many  seconds. 

"  May  I  enquire,  Count  Quinnox,  if  you  know  any- 
thing of  the  present  state  of  Prince  Robin's  —  er — • 
heart  ?  "  inquired  the  Prime  Minister  finally. 

A  tinge  of  red  appeared  in  each  of  Count  Quin« 
nox's  swarthy  cheeks. 


864.        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

**  I  can  only  surmise,"  said  he  briefly. 

"  Has  —  has  he  met  some  one  in  whom  he  feels  a  -* 
er  —  an  interest?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  May  we  have  the  benefit  of  your  conclusions  ?  " 
\said  Baron  Romano,  icily. 

"I  am  not  at  liberty  to  supply  information  at  pres- 
ent," said  the  Count,  visibly  distressed. 

Mr.  Blithers  leaned  forward,  his  hands  upon  the 
table.  "  Some  one  he  met  after  leaving  New  York  ?  " 
he  inquired  eagerly. 

"  Time  will  reveal  everything,  Mr.  Blithers,"  said 
the  Count,  and  closed  his  jaws  resolutely.  His  col- 
leagues looked  at  him  in  consternation.  The  worst, 
then,  had  happened! 

A  gleam  of  triumph  shot  into  the  eyes  of  Mr. 
Blithers.  His  heart  swelled.  He  felt  himself  step- 
ping out  upon  safe,  solid  ground  after  a  period  of 
floundering.  The  very  best,  then,  had  happened ! 

"  My  lords,  I  find  that  my  half-hour  is  almost  up,r> 
he  said,  pulling  out  his  gold  watch  and  comparing  its 
time  with  that  of  the  clock  on  the  wall.  "  Permit  me 
to  take  my  departure.  I  am  content  to  let  matters 
shape  themselves  as  they  may.  Shakespeare  says 
4  there  is  a  destiny  that  shapes  our  ends,  rough  hew 
them  ' —  er  —  and  so  forth.  Allow  me,  however,  be- 
fore leaving,  to  assure  you  of  my  most  kindly  inter- 
est in  the  welfare  of  your  State.  You  may  be  pleased 
to  know  that  it  is  not  from  me  that  Graustark  —  did 
I  get  it  right  that  time  ?  —  will  redeem  her  bonds  when 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CASTLE  365 

they  mature,  but  from  my  only  daughter.  She  is 
nearly  twenty-one  years  of  age.  On  her  twenty-fifth 
birthday  I  shall  present  to  her  —  as  a  gift  —  all  of 
my  holdings  in  Graustark.  She  may  do  as  she  sees 
fit  with  them.  Permit  me  to  wish  you  all  good  day, 
my  lords.  You  may  send  the  contract  to  my  hotel, 
Baron.  I  expect  to  remain  in  the  city  for  some 
time." 

As  he  traversed  the  vast  halls  on  his  way  to  the 
outer  world,  he  was  again  overcome  by  the  uneasy 
conviction  that  ironic  eyes  were  looking  out  upon  him 
from  luxurious  retreats.  Again  he  felt  that  his  coat 
fitted  him  too  tightly  and  that  his  waistcoat  was  pain- 
fully in  evidence.  He  hurried  a  bit.  If  he  could 
have  had  his  way  about  it,  he  would  have  run.  Once 
outside  the  castle  doors,  he  lighted  a  big  cigar,  and 
threw  the  burnt-out  match  upon  the  polished  flag- 
stones of  the  terrace.  He  regretted  the  act  on  the 
instant.  He  wished  he  had  not  thrown  it  there.  If 
the  solemn  grooms  had  not  been  watching,  he  would 
have  picked  it  up  and  stuck  it  into  his  pocket  for  dis- 
posal on  the  less  hallowed  stones  of  a  city  thorough- 
fare. 

Outside  the  gates  he  felt  more  at  ease,  more  at  home, 
in  fact.  He  smoked  in  great  contentment.  In  the 
broad,  shady  avenue  he  took  out  his  watch  and  pried 
open  the  case.  A  great  pride  filled  his  eyes  as  he 
looked  upon  the  dainty  miniature  portrait  of  his 
daughter  Maud.  She  was  lovely  —  she  was  even 
lovelier  than  he  had  ever  thought  before. 


366        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

At  the  Regengetz  a  telegram  awaited  him.  It  was 
from  Maud. 

"  I  shall  be  in  Edelweiss  this  week  without  fail.  I 
have  something  very  important  to  tell  you."  So  it 
lead. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

PINGABl's 

NINE  o'clock  of  a  rainy  night,  on  the  steep, 
road  that  climbed  the  mountain-side  from  the  walled-m 
city  to  the  crest  on  which  stood  the  famed  monastery 
of  St.  Valentine, —  nine  o'clock  of  a  night  fraught  with 
pleasurable  anticipation  on  the  part  of  one  R. 
Schmidt,  whose  eager  progress  up  the  slope  was  all 
too  slow  notwithstanding  the  encouragement  offered 
by  the  conscienceless  Jehu  who  frequently  beat  his 
poor  steeds  into  a  gallop  over  level  stretches  and  never 
allowed  them  to  pause  on  the  cruel  grades. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  there  had  come  to  the  general 
post-office  a  letter  for  Mr.  R.  Schmidt.  He  had  told 
her  that  any  message  intended  for  him  would  reach 
his  hands  if  directed  to  the  post-office.  Since  his  ar- 
rival in  the  city,  three  days  before,  he  had  purposely 
avoided  the  main  streets  and  avenues  of  Edelweiss, 
venturing  forth  but  seldom  from  the  Castle  grounds, 
and  all  because  he  knew  that  he  could  not  go  abroad 
during  the  day-time  without  forfeiting  the  privileges 
to  be  enjoyed  in  emulation  of  the  good  Caliphs  of 
Baghdad.  His  people  would  betray  their  prince  be- 
cause they  loved  him:  his  passage  through  the  streets 
could  only  be  attended  by  respectful  homage  on  the 
part  of  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  place.  If 

Bedelia  were  there,  she  could  not  help  knowing  who 

367 


368        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

and  what  he  was,  with  every  one  stupidly  lifting  his 
hat  and  bowing  to  him  as  he  passed,  and  he  did  not 
want  Bedelia  to  know  the  truth  about  him  until  she 
had  answered  an  all-important  question,  as  has  been 
mentioned  before  on  more  than  one  occasion  in  the 
course  of  this  simple  tale. 

Her  letter  was  brief.  She  merely  acquainted  him 
with  the  fact  that  she  had  arrived  in  Edelweiss  that 
day  from  Ganlook,  twenty  miles  away,  and  was  stop- 
ping at  the  Inn  of  the  Stars  outside  the  city  gates 
and  half  way  up  the  mountain-side,  preferring  the 
quiet,  ancient  tavern  to  the  stately  Regengetz  for 
reasons  of  her  own. 

In  closing  she  said  that  she  would  be  delighted  to 
see  him  when  it  was  convenient  for  him  to  come  to 
her.  On  receipt  of  this  singularly  matter-of-fact  let- 
ter, he  promptly  despatched  a  message  to  Miss  Guile, 
Jnn  of  the  Stars,  saying  that  she  might  expect  him 
at  nine  that  night. 

Fortunately  for  him,  the  night  was  wet  and  bluster- 
ing. He  donned  a  rain-coat,  whose  cape  and  collar 
served  to  cover  the  lower  part  of  his  face  fairly  well, 
and  completed  his  disguise  by  pulling  far  down  over 
his  eyes  the  villainous  broad-brimmed  hat  affected 
by  the  shepherds  in  the  hills.  He  had  a  pair  of  dark 
eye-glasses  in  reserve  for  the  crucial  test  that  would 
come  with  his  entrance  to  the  Inn. 

Stealing  away  from  the  Castle  at  night,  he  entered 
the  ram-shackle  cab  that  Hobbs  had  engaged  for  the 


PINGARPS  369 

expedition,  and  which  awaited  him  not  far  from  the 
private  entrance  to  the  Park.  Warders  at  the  gate 
looked  askance  as  he  passed  them  by,  but  not  one  pre- 
sumed to  question  him.  They  winked  slyly  at  each 
other,  however,  after  he  had  disappeared  in  the  shad- 
ows beyond  the  rays  of  the  feeble  lanterns  that  they 
carried.  It  was  good  to  be  young ! 

The  driver  of  that  rattling  old  vehicle  was  no  other 
than  the  versatile  Hobbs,  who,  it  appears,  had  rented 
the  outfit  for  a  fixed  sum,  guaranteeing  the  owner 
against  loss  by  theft,  fire  or  dissolution.  It  is  not 
even  remotely  probable  that  the  owner  would  have 
covered  the  ground  so  quickly  as  Hobbs,  and  it  is 
certain  that  the  horses  never  suspected  that  they  had 
it  in  them. 

The  mud-covered  vehicle  was  nearing  the  Inn  of 
the  Stars  when  Robin  stuck  his  head  out  of  the  win- 
dow and  directed  Hobbs  to  drive  slower. 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  said  Hobbs.  "  I  thought  as  how 
we  might  be  late  after  losing  time  at  the  city  gates, 
sir,  wot  with  that  silly  guard  and  the  — " 

"  We  are  in  good  time,  Hobbs.     Take  it  easy." 

The  lights  of  the  Inn  were  gleaming  through  the 
drizzle  not  more  than  a  block  away.  Robin's  heart 
was  thumping  furiously.  Little  chills  ran  over  him, 
delicious  chills  of  excitement.  His  blood  was  hot  and 
cold,  his  nerves  were  tingling.  The  adventure! 

"  Whoa !  "  said  Hobbs  suddenly.  "  'Ello,  wot  the 
'ell  is—" 


#70        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

A  dark  figure  had  sprung  into  the  road-way  near 
the  horses'  heads,  and  was  holding  up  a  warning  hand. 

"  Is  this  Mr.  Schmidt's  carriage? "  demanded  a 
hoarse,  suppressed  voice. 

"  It  is,"  said  Hobbs,  "  for  the  time  being.  Wot  of 
it?" 

Robin's  head  came  through  the  window. 

"What  do  you  want?" 

"  Some  one  is  coming  out  here  to  meet  you,  sir. 
Do  not  drive  up  to  the  doors.  Those  are  the  orders. 
You  are  to  wait  here,  if  you  please." 

Then  the  man  shot  away  into  the  darkness,  leav- 
ing the  wayfarers  mystified  by  his  words  and  action. 

"  Wot  am  I  to  do,  sir?  "  inquired  Hobbs.  "  Most 
hextraordinary  orders,  and  who  the  deuce  is  behind 
them,  that's  wot  I'd  like  to  know." 

"  We'll  wait  here,  Hobbs,"  said  Robin,  and  then 
put  his  hand  suddenly  to  his  heart.  It  was  acting 
very  queerly.  For  a  moment  he  thought  it  was  in 
danger  of  pounding  its  way  out  of  his  body ! 

Below  him  lay  the  lighted  city,  a  great  yellow  cloud 
almost  at  his  feet.  Nearer,  on  the  mountain-side  were 
the  misty  lights  in  the  windows  of  dwellers  on  the 
slope,  and  at  points  far  apart  the  street  lamps,  dim 
splashes  of  light  in  the  gloom.  Far  above  were  the 
almost  obscured  lights  of  St.  Valentine,  hanging  in 
the  sky.  He  thought  of  the  monks  up  there.  What 
a  life !  He  would  not  be  a  monk,  not  he. 

"  My  word ! "  exclaimed  Hobbs,  but  instantly  re- 
sumed his  character  as  cabby. 


PINGARPS  371 

A  woman  came  swiftly  out  of  the  blackness  and 
stopped  beside  the  cab.  She  was  swathed  in  a  long 
gossamer,  and  hooded.  The  carriage  lamps  gleamed 
strong  against  the  dripping  coat. 

"  Is  it  you  ?  "  cried  Robin,  throwing  open  the  doof 
and  leaping  to  the  ground. 

"  It  is  I,  M'sieur,"  said  the  voice  of  Marie,  Miss 
Guile's  French  maid. 

Bleak  disappointment  filled  his  soul.  He  had  hoped 
for  —  but  no!  He  might  have  known.  She  would 
not  meet  him  in  this  manner. 

"  What  has  happened  ?  "  he  cried,  grasping  the 
girl's  arm.  "  Has  she  — " 

"  Sh!  May  we  not  speak  in  French?  "  said  Marie, 
lowering  her  voice  after  a  significant  look  at  the  mo- 
tionless cabman.  "  He  may  understand  English, 
M'sieur.  My  mistress  has  sent  me  to  say  to  M'sieur 
that  she  has  changed  her  mind." 

"  Changed  her  mind,"  gasped  Robin. 

"  Yes,  M'sieur.  She  will  not  receive  you  at  the 
Inn  of  the  Stars.  She  bids  you  drive  to  the  end  of 
this  street,  where  there  is  a  garden  with  a  Magyar 
band,  and  the  most  delicious  of  refreshments  to  be 
had  under  vine-covered — " 

"A  public  garden?  "  exclaimed  Robin  in  utter  dis- 
may. 

"  Pingari's,  sir,"  said  Hobbs,  without  thinking. 
**  I  know  the  place  well.  It  is  a  very  quiet,  orderly 
place  —  I  beg  pardon !  " 


372        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"So  he  understands  French,  eh?"  cried  Marie 
sharply. 

"  It  doesn't  matter,"  cried  Robin  impatiently. 
"  Why,  in  heaven's  name,  did  she  select  a  public  eat- 
ing-house in  which  to  receive  me?  " 

"  If  M'sieur  chooses  to  disregard  the  wishes  of  —  " 
began  the  maid,  but  he  interrupted  her. 

"  I  am  not  accustomed  to  meeting  people  in  pub- 
lic gardens.  I  —  " 

"  Nor  is  my  mistress,  M'sieur.  I  assure  you  it  is 
the  first  time  she  has  committed  an  indiscretion  of 
this  kind.  May  I  put  a  flea  in  M'sieur's  ear?  The 
place  is  quite  empty  to-night,  and  besides  there  is 
the  drive  back  to  the  Inn  with  Mademoiselle.  Is  not 
that  something,  M'sieur?  " 

"  By  jove  !  "  exclaimed  Robin.  "  Drive  on,  —  you  ! 
But  wait!  Let  me  take  you  to  the  Inn,  Marie. 


"  No  !  I  may  not  accept  M'sieur's  thoughtful  in- 
vitation. Bon  soir,  M'sieur." 

She  was  off  like  a  flash.  Robin  leaped  nimbly  into 
the  cab. 

"  Pingari's,  driver  !  "  he  said,  his  heart  thumping 
once  more. 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  and  they  were  off  at  a  lively 
rate,  rattling  quite  gaily  over  the  cobble-stones. 

Pingari's  is  the  jumping-off  place.  It  stands  at 
the  sharp  corner  of  an  elbow  in  the  mountain,  with  an 
almost  sheer  drop  of  a  thousand  feet  into  the  quar- 
ries below.  A  low-roofed,  rambling  building,  once 


PINGARI'S  373 

used  as  a  troop-house  for  nomadic  fighting-men  who 
came  from  all  parts  of  the  principality  on  draft  by 
feudal  barons  in  the  days  before  real  law  obtained,  it 
was  something  of  a  historic  place.  Parts  of  the 
structure  are  said  to  be  no  less  than  five  hundred  years 
old,  but  time  and  avarice  have  relegated  history  to  a 
1  rather  uncertain  background,  and  unless  one  is  pretty 
well  up  in  the  traditions  of  the  town,  he  may  be  taken 
in  nicely  by  shameless  attendants  who  make  no  dis- 
tinction between  the  old  and  the  new  so  long  as  it  pays 
them  to  procrastinate. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  walls  of  the  ancient  troop- 
house  surround  what  is  now  considered  the  kitchen, 
and  one  never  steps  inside  of  them  unless  he  hap- 
pens to  be  connected  in  a  somewhat  menial  way  with 
the  green  grocer,  the  fish-monger,  the  butcher  or  the 
poultry-man.  The  wonderful  vine-covered  porches, 
reeking  with  signs  of  decay  and  tottering  with  age, 
are  in  truth  very  substantial  affairs  constructed  by 
an  ancestor  of  the  present  Signer  Pingari  no  longer 
ago  than  the  Napoleonic  era  —  which  is  quite  recent 
as  things  go  in  Graustark. 

Hobbs  drove  bravely  into  the  court  yard,  shouted 
orders  to  a  couple  of  hostlers  and  descended  from 
the  box.  The  Magyar  band  was  playing  blithely  to 
the  scattered  occupants  of  the  porches  overlooking  the 
precipice. 

"  'Ere  we  are,  sir,"  said  he  to  the  Prince,  as  he 
jerked  open  the  door  of  the  cab.  "  Shall  I  waits 
sir?  " 


374.         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Certainly,"  said  Robin,  climbing  out.  "  I  am  a 
long  way  from  home,  my  good  man." 

He  hurried  up  the  steps  and  cast  an  eye  about  the 
place.  There  were  no  ladies  unattached.  As  he  was 
about  to  start  on  a  tour  of  investigation,  a  polite  per- 
son in  brass  buttons  came  up  to  him. 

"  Alone,  sir?  "  he  inquired  pityingly. 

"  Quite,"  said  Robin,  still  peering  into  the  recesses. 

"  Then  come  with  me,  if  you  please.  I  am  directed 
to  escort  you  to  one  who  is  also  alone.  This  way, 
sir." 

Robin  followed  him  through  a  door,  down  a  narrow 
hallway,  up  a  flight  of  stairs  and  out  another 
door  upon  a  small  portico,  sheltered  by  a  heavy  can- 
vas awning.  Two  men  were  standing  at  the  rail- 
ing, looking  down  upon  the  impressionistic  lights 
of  the  sunken  city.  The  Prince  drew  back,  his  face 
hardening. 

"What  does  this  mean,  sirrah?     You  said — " 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice  the  two  men  turned,  stared 
at  him  intently  for  an  instant  and  then  deliberately 
strode  past  him,  entered  the  door  and  disappeared. 
The  person  in  brass  buttons  followed  them. 

A  soft,  gurgling  laugh  fell  upon  his  ears  —  a  laugh 
of  pure  delight.  He  whirled  about  and  faced  —  one 
who  was  no  longer  alone. 

She  was  seated  at  the  solitary  little  table  in  the 
corner;  until  now  it  had  escaped  his  notice  for  the 
excellent  reason  that  it  was  outside  the  path  of  light 


PINGARI'S  375 

from  the  open  doorway,  and  the  faint  glow  from  the 
adjacent  porches  did  not  penetrate  the  quiet  retreat. 

He  sprang  toward  her  with  a  glad  cry,  expecting 
her  to  rise.  She  remained  seated,  her  hand  extended. 
This  indifference  on  her  part  may  have  been  the  re- 
sult of  cool  premeditation.  In  any  event,  it  served  to 
check  the  impulsive  ardour  of  the  Prince,  who,  it  is 
to  be  feared,  had  lost  something  in  the  way  of  self- 
restraint.  It  is  certain  —  absolutely  certain  —  that 
had  she  come  forward  to  meet  him,  she  would  have 
found  herself  imprisoned  in  a  pair  of  strong,  eager 
arms, —  and  a  crisis  precipitated.  He  had  to  be  con- 
tent with  a  warm  hand-clasp  and  a  smile  of  welcome 
that  even  the  gloom  could  not  hide  from  his  devour- 
ing eyes. 

"  My  dear,  dear  Bedelia,"  he  murmured.  "  I  had 
almost  given  you  up.  Three  long  days  have  I  waited 
for  you.  You  — " 

"  I  have  never  broken  a  promise,  Rex,"  she  said 
coolly.  "  It  is  you  who  are  to  be  commended,  not  I, 
for  you  see  I  was  coming  to  Graustark  anyway.  I 
should  not  have  been  surprised  if  you  had  failed  me, 
sir.  It  is  a  long  way  from  Vienna  to  this  out-of-the- 
way  — " 

"  The  most  distant  spot  in  the  world  would  not 
have  been  too  far  away  to  cause  an  instant's  hesitation 
on  my  part,"  said  he,  dropping  into  the  chair  op- 
posite her.  "  I  would  go  to  the  end  of  the  worlds 
Bedelia." 


876        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  But  your  personal  affairs  —  your  business,"  slie 
protested.  "  Can  you  neglect  it  so  — " 

"  My  business  is  to  find  happiness,"  said  he.  "  I 
should  be  neglecting  it  indeed  if  I  failed  to  pursue 
the  only  means  of  attaining  it.  You  are  happiness, 
Bedelia." 

"  What  would  you  sacrifice  for  happiness  ?  "  she 
asked  softly. 

"  All  else  in  the  world,"  he  replied  steadily.  "  If 
I  were  a  king,  my  realm  should  go  if  it  stood  between 
me  and  —  you,  Bedelia." 

She  drew  back  with  a  queer  little  gasp,  as  if  sud- 
denly breathless. 

"Wait  —  wait  just  for  a  moment,"  she  said,  with 
difficulty  steadying  her  voice.  "  This  night  may  see 
the  end  of  our  adventure,  Rex.  Let  us  think  well 
before  we  say  that  it  is  over.  I  know,  if  you  do  not, 
that  a  great  deal  depends  upon  what  we  are  to  say 
to  each  other  to-night.  You  will  ask  me  to  be  your 
wife.  Are  you  sure  that  you  appreciate  all  that  it 
means  to  you  and  to  your  future  if  I  should  say  yea 
to  that  dear  question  ?  " 

He  looked  at  her  intently.  "  What  do  you  know, 
Bedelia?  " 

"  I  know  that  you  are  the  Prince  of  Graustark  and 
that  it  is  ordained  that  you  shall  wed  one  whose  sta- 
tion is  the  equal  of  your  own.  You  must  think  well, 
dear  Rex,  before  you  ask  Bedelia  Guile  to  be  your 
wife." 

"  You  know  that  I  am  — "  he  began,  dully,  and  then 


0 

PH 


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c 

3 


c 

So 


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rS, 

H 


PINGARI'S  377 

tmrst  into  a  mirthless  laugh.  "  And  knowing  who  I 
am,  why  do  you  not  leap  at  the  chance  to  become  the 
Princess  of  Graustark?  Why  not  realise  an  ambition 
that  — " 

"  Hush !  You  see  how  well  I  considered  when  I 
advised  you  to  think  before  speaking?  You  are  now 
saying  things  that  are  unworthy  of  you.  You  are 
forgetting  that  it  is  my  privilege  to  say  no  to  the 
am  in  search  of  happiness.  I  too  — " 

He  stood  up,  leaning  far  over  the  table,  a  pene- 
trating look  in  his  eyes. 

"  How  long  have  you  known,  Bedelia  ?  " 

"  Since  the  second  day  out  on  the  Jupiter"  sh« 
replied  serenely. 

He  slowly  resumed  his  seat,  overwhelmed  by  the 
sickening  realisation  that  his  bubble  had  burst.  She 
had  known  from  the  beginning.  She  had  played  with 
him.  She  had  defied  him! 

"  I  know  what  you  are  thinking,  Rex,"  she  said, 
almost  pleadingly.  "  You  are  thinking  ill  of  me,  and 
you  are  unjust.  It  was  as  fair  for  me  as  it  was 
for  you.  We  played  a  cautious  game.  You  set 
about  to  win  my  love  as  you  saw  fit,  my  friend,  and 
am  I  to  be  condemned  if  I  exercised  the  same  privi- 
lege? I  was  no  more  deliberate,  no  more  reprehen- 
sible than  you.  Am  I  more  guilty  of  deceit  than 
you?" 

He  gave  a  great  sigh  of  relief.  "  You  are  right," 
he  said.  "  It  is  my  turn  to  confess.  I  have  known 


878        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

for  many  days  that  you  are  not  Bedelia  Guile.  We 
are  quits." 

She  laughed  softly.  "  I  rather  like  Bedelia.  I 
think  I  shall  keep  it  as  a  good-luck  name.  We  have 
now  arrived  at  the  time  for  a  profound  contemplation 
of  the  results  of  our  experiments.  In  the  meantime,  I 
have  had  no  dinner.  I  trust  that  the  Prince  of  Graus- 
tark  has  dined  so  lightly  that  he  will  not  decline  to 
share  my  repast  with  me.  It  has  already  been  or- 
dered —  for  two." 

"By  jove,  you  —  you  amaze  me!"  he  exclaimed. 

"  Please  remove  that  dreadful  mackintosh  and  touch 
the  bell  for  me.  You  see,  I  am  a  very  prosaic  person, 
after  all.  Even  in  the  face  of  disaster  I  can  have  a 
craving  for  food  and  drink.  That's  better." 

In  a  sort  of  daze,  he  tapped  the  little  table  bell. 
A  waiter  appeared  on  the  instant. 

"  Give  us  more  light,  waiter,"  was  her  command, 
"  and  serve  dinner  at  once." 

The  lights  went  up,  and  Robin  looked  into  her  soft, 
smiling  eyes. 

"  It  doesn't  matter,"  he  whispered  hoarsely.  "  I 
don't  care  what  happens  to  me,  Bedelia,  I  —  I  shall 
never  give  you  up.  You  are  worth  all  the  kingdoms 
in  the  world.  You  are  the  loveliest,  most  ador- 
able—" 

"  Hush !  The  eyes  of  your  people  are  upon  you. 
See!  Even  the  waiter  recognises  his  prince.  He  is 
overcome.  Ah!  He  falters  with  the  consomm£.  It 
is  a  perilous  moment.  There!  I  knew  something 


PINGARFS  379 

would  happen,  poor  fellow.  He  has  spilled  —  but,  all 
is  well;  he  has  his  wits  again.  See!  He  replenishes 
from  the  steaming  tureen.  We  are  saved." 

Her  mood  was  so  gaily  satiric,  so  inconsequential, 
that  he  allowed  a  wondering,  uncertain  smile  to  banish 
the  trouble  from  his  eyes  as  he  leaned  back  in  the  chair 
and  studied  the  vivid,  excited  face  of  the  girl  who  had 
created  havoc  with  his  senses.  She  was  dressed  as  he 
had  seen  her  on  board  the  Jupiter  during  those  de- 
lightful days  on  deck:  the  same  trim  figure  in  a  blue 
serge  suit  and  a  limp  white  hat,  drawn  well  down  over 
her  soft  brown  hair,  with  the  smart  red  tie  and  the 
never-to-be-forgotten  scent  of  a  perfume  that  would 
linger  in  his  nostrils  forever  and  forever. 

"  Do  you  think  it  strange  that  I  should  have  asked 
you  to  meet  me  here  in  this  unconventional  way  in- 
stead of  at  the  Inn  ?  "  she  inquired,  suddenly  serious. 
Again  the  shy,  pleading  expression  stole  into  her  eyes. 

"  I  did  think  so,  but  no  longer.  I  am  glad  that  we 
are  here." 

"  Mrs.  Gaston  is  inside,"  she  informed  him  quickly. 
"  I  do  not  come  alone.  An  hour  ago  the  Inn  became 
quite  impossible  as  a  trysting  place.  A  small  party 
from  the  Regengetz  arrived  for  dinner.  Can  you 
guess  who  is  giving  the  dinner?  The  great  and  only 
William  W.  Blithers,  sir,  who  comes  to  put  an  ob- 
stinate daughter  upon  the  throne  of  Graustark, 
whether  she  will  or  no." 

"  Did  he  see  you  ?  "  cried  Robin. 

"  No,"  she  answered,  with  a  mischievous  gleam  in 


380         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

her  eyes.  "  I  stole  out  through  the  back  door,  and 
sent  Marie  out  with  one  of  the  porters  to  head  you 
off.  Then  I  came  on  here.  I  didn't  even  stop  to 
change  my  gown." 

"  Hide  and  seek  is  a  bully  game,"  said  he.  "  It 
can't  last  much  longer,  Bedelia.  I  think  it  is  only 
right  that  we  should  go  to  your  father  and  tell  him 
that  —  everything  is  all  right.  It  is  his  due.  You've 
solved  your  own  problem  and  are  satisfied*  so  why  not 
reveal  yourself.  There  is  nothing  to  be  gained  by 
further  secrecy." 

She  was  watching  him  closely.  "  Are  you,  after  all 
is  said  and  done,  sure  that  you  want  to  marry  the 
daughter  of  William  Blithers,  in  the  face  of  all  the 
bitter  consequences  that  may  follow  such  an  act? 
Think  hard,  my  dear.  She  is  being  forced  upon  you, 
in  a  way.  Mr.  Blithers'  money  is  behind  her.  Your 
people  are  opposed  to  the  bargain,  for  that  is  the 
way  in  which  they  will  look  upon  it.  They  may  act 
very  harshly  toward  you.  The  name  of  Blithers  is 
detested  in  your  land.  His  daughter  is  reviled.  Are 
you  sure  that  you  want  to  marry  her,  Re —  Robin  ?  " 

"  Are  you  through  ?  "  he  asked,  transfixing  her  with 
a  determined  look.  "  Well,  then,  I'll  answer  you* 
I  do  want  to  marry  you,  and,  more  than  that,  I  mean 
to  marry  you.  I  love  — " 

"  You  may  tell  me,  Robin,  as  we  are  driving  back  to 
the  Inn  together  —  not  here,  not  now,"  she  said 
softly,  the  lovelight  in  her  eyes. 

Happiness  blurred  his  vision.     He  was  thrilled  by 


PINGARI'S  381 

an  enchantment  so  stupefying  that  the  power  of 
speech,  almost  of  thought,  was  denied  him  for  the 
time  being.  He  could  only  sit  and  stare  at  her  with 
prophetic  love  in  his  eyes,  love  that  bided  its  time 
and  trembled  with  anticipation. 

Long  afterward,  as  they  were  preparing  to  leave 
Pingari's  she  said  to  him: 

"  My  father  is  at  the  Inn,  Robin.  I  ran  away 
from  him  to-night  because  I  wanted  to  be  sure  that  our 
adventure  was  closed  before  I  revealed  myself  to  him. 
I  wanted  to  be  able  to  say  to  him  that  love  will  find 
its  way,  no  matter  how  blind  it  is,  nor  how  vast  the 
world  it  has  to  traverse  in  search  of  its  own.  My 
father  is  at  the  Inn.  Take  me  to  him  now,  Robin, 
and  make  the  miracle  complete." 

His  fingers  caressed  her  warm  cheek  as  he  adjusted 
the  collar  of  the  long  seacoat  about  her  throat  and 
chin.  Her  eyes  were  starry  bright,  her  red  lips  were 
parted. 

"  My  Princess ! "  he  whispered  tenderly.  "  My 
Princess ! " 

"  My  Prince,"  she  said  so  softly  that  the  words 
barely  reached  his  ears.  "  We  have  proved  that  Love 
is  the  king.  He  rules  us  all.  He  laughs  at  lock- 
smiths —  and  fathers  —  but  he  does  not  laugh  at 
sweethearts.  Come,  I  am  ready." 

He  handed  her  into  the  cab  a  moment  later,  and 
drew  the  long  deep  breath  of  one  who  goes  down  into 
deep  water.  Then  he  followed  after  her.  The  at- 
tendant closed  the  door. 


382        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

"  Where  to,  sir?  "  called  Hobbs  from  the  driver's 
seat. 

He  received  no  answer,  yet  cracked  his  whip  gaily 

over  the  horses'  backs  and  drove  out  into  the  slant* 
•t  . 
'  ing  rain. 

Hobbs  was  a  dependable  fellow.  He  drove  the  full 
length  of  the  street  twice,  passing  the  Inn  of  the 
Stars  both  times  at  a  lively  clip,  and  might  have  gone 
on  forever  in  his  shuttlecock  enterprise,  had  not  the 
excited  voice  of  a  woman  hailed  him  from  the  side- 
walk. 

"Stop!     Attendez!    You!     Man!" 

He  pulled  up  with  a  jerk.  The  dripping  figure 
of  Marie  ran  up  from  behind. 

"  My  mistress  ?     Where  is  she  ?  "  panted  the  girl. 

"  In  heaven,"  said  Hobbs  promptly,  whereupon 
Marie  pounded  on  the  glass  window  of  the  cab. 

Robin  quickly  opened  the  door. 

"Wha  —  what  is  it?" 

"  Yes,  Marie,"  came  in  muffled  tones  from  the 
depths  of  the  cab. 

"  Madame  Gaston  returns  long  ago.  She  is  beside 
herself.  She  is  like  a  maniac.  She  has  lost  you ;  she 
cannot  explain  to  —  to  Mademoiselle's  father.  Mon 
dieu,  when  he  met  her  unexpectedly  in  the  hall,  he 
shouts,  *  where  is  my  daughter  ?  '  And  poor  Madame 
she  has  but  to  shiver  and  stammer  and  —  npi  away ! 
Oui!  She  dash  out  into  the  rain!  It  is  terrible. 
She—" 


PINGARI'S  383 

Bedelia  broke  in  upon  this  jumbled  recitation. 
'*  Where  have  we  been,  Robin?  Where  are  we  now?  " 

"  Where  are  we,  Hobbs  ?  " 

"  We  are  just  getting  back  to  the  Inn  of  the  Stars, 
sir, —  descending,  you  might  say,  sir,"  said  Hobbs. 

"  Drive  on,  confound  you." 

"  To  the  Inn,  sir?  " 

"Certainly!" 

The  door  slammed  and  the  final  block  was  covered 
in  so  short  a  time  that  Robin's  final  kiss  was  still 
warm  on  Bedelia's  lips  when  the  gallant  cab  rolled 
up  to  the  portals  of  the  Inn  of  the  Stars. 

"  Did  you  ever  know  such  a  night,  sir?  "  inquired 
Hobbs,  as  the  Prince  handed  his  lady  out.  He  was 
referring  to  the  weather* 


CHAPTER     XXIV 

JTTST    WHAT    MIGHT    HAVE    BEEN    EXPECTED 

EVEN  the  most  flamboyant  of  natures  may  suffer  de° 
pression  at  times,  and  by  the  same  token  arrogance 
may  give  way  to  humility, —  or,  at  the  very  least,  con- 
viction. 

Mr.  Blithers  had  had  a  trying  day  of  it.  To  be- 
gin with,  his  wife  raked  him  over  the  coals  for  what 
she  was  pleased  to  call  his  senseless  persistence  in  the 
face  of  what  she  regarded  as  unalterable  opposition  on 
the  part  of  the  Cabinet  and  House  of  Nobles.  It  ap- 
pears that  he  had  experienced  a  second  encounter 
with  the  Ministry  only  the  day  before.  After  sleep- 
ing over  the  results  of  his  first  visit  to  the  Council 
Chamber,  he  awoke  to  the  fact  that  matters  were  in 
such  a  condition  that  it  behooved  him  to  strike  while 
tha  iron  was  hot.  So  he  obtained  a  second  hearing, 
principally  because  he  had  not  slept  as  well  over  it 
as  he  would  have  liked,  and  secondarily  because  he 
wanted  to  convince  himself  that  he  could  parade  their 
ancient  halls  without  feeling  as  self-conscious  as  a 
whipped  spaniel. 

He  came  off  even  worse  in  his  second  assault  upon 
the  ministry,  for  this  time  the  members  openly  sneered 
at  his  declarations.  As  for  his  progress  through  the 

enchanted  halls  he  was  no  end  worse  off  than  before. 

384 


WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  EXPECTED       385 

It  so  happened  that  he  arrived  at  the  castle  at  the 
very  hour  when  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  royal 
household  were  preparing  to  fare  forth  to  the  tennis 
courts.  He  came  upon  them,  first  on  the  terrace, 
then  in  the  entrance,  and  later  on  was  stared  at  with 
evident  curiosity  by  white  flanneled  and  duck-skirted 
persons  in  the  lofty  halls.  He  wished  that  he  was 
back  at  Blitherwood  where  simplicity  was  not  so  in- 
fernally common. 

He  made  the  mistake  of  his  life  when  he  gave  to  his 
wife  the  details  of  this  second  conference  with  the 
Cabinet.  He  did  it  in  the  hope  that  a  sympathetic 
response  would  be  forthcoming.  To  his  surprise,  she 
merely  pitied  him,  but  in  such  a  disgustingly  personal 
way  that  he  wondered  if  he  could  ever  forgive  her. 

"  Can't  you  appreciate  what  I  am  doing  for 
Maud  ?  "  he  argued,  almost  tearfully. 

"  I  can  appreciate  what  you  are  doing  to  her,"  said 
she,  and  swept  out  of  the  room. 

"  It's  bad  enough  to  have  one  stubborn  woman  in 
the  family,"  said  he  to  himself,  glaring  at  the  closed 
door  —  which  had  been  slammed,  by  the  way, — "  but 
two  of  'em  —  Good  Lord !  " 

And  so  it  was  that  Mr.  Blithers,  feeling  in  need  of 
cheer,  arranged  a  little  dinner  for  that  evening,  at 
the  Inn  of  the  Stars.  He  first  invited  his  principal 
London  lawyer  and  his  wife  —  who  happened  to  be 
his  principal  —  and  then  sent  a  more  or  less  peremp- 
tory invitation  to  the  President  of  the  Bank  of  Graui 
tark,  urging  him  to  join  the  party  at  the  Regengetat 


and  motor  to  the  Inn.  He  was  to  bring  his  wife  anil 
any  friends  that  might  be  stopping  with  them  at  the 
time.  The  banker  declined.  His  wife  had  been  dead 
for  twenty  years;  the  only  friends  he  possessed  were 
directors  in  the  bank,  and  they  happened  to  be  having; 
a  meeting  that  night.  So  Mr.  Blithers  invited  his 
secondary  London  lawyer,  his  French  lawyer  and  two- 
attractive  young  women  who  it  appears  were  related 
to  the  latter,  although  at  quite  a  distance,  and  then 
concluded  that  it  was  best  to  speak  to  his  own  wife 
about  the  little  affair.  She  said  she  couldn't  even 
think  of  going.  Maud  might  arrive  that  very  night 
and  she  certainly  was  not  going  out  of  the  hotel  with 
such  an  event  as  that  in  prospect. 

"  But  Simpson's  wife  is  coming,"  protested  Mr. 
Blithers,  "  and  Pericault's  cousins.  Certainly  you 
must  come.  Jolly  little  affair  to  liven  us  up  a  bit. 
Now  Lou, — " 

"  I  am  quite  positive  that  Lady  Simpson  will  change 
her  mind  when  she  hears  that  Pericault's  cousins  are 
going,"  said  Mrs.  Blithers  acidly. 

"  Anything  the  matter  with  Pericault's  cousins  ?  " 
he  demanded,  inclined  to  the  bellicose. 

"  Ask  Pericault,"  she  replied  briefly. 

He  thought  for  a  moment.  "  If  that's  the  case, 
Lou,  you'll  have  to  come,  if  only  to  save  my  reputa- 
tion," he  said.  "  I  didn't  think  it  of  Pericault.  He 
seems  less  like  a  Frenchman  than  any  man  I've  ever 
known." 

Mrs.  Blithers  relented.     She  went  to  the  dinner  and 


WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  EXPECTED       387 

so  did  Lady  Simpson,  despite  Pericault's  cousins,  and 
the  only  ones  in  the  party  who  appeared  to  be  uneasy 
were  the  cousins  themselves.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  it 
was  not  the  rain  that  put  a  dampener  on  what  other- 
wise might  have  been  an  excessively  jovial  party. 

Stupendous  was  the  commotion  at  the  Inn  of  the 
Stars  when  it  became  known  that  one  of  the  richest  men 
in  the  world  —  and  a  possible  father-in-law  apparent 
to  the  crown, —  was  to  honour  the  place  with  his  pres- 
ence that  night.  Every  one,  from  the  manager  down 
to  the  boy  who  pared  potatoes,  laid  himself  out  to  make 
the  occasion  a  memorable  one. 

The  millionaire's  table  was  placed  in  the  very  centre 
of  the  dining-room,  and  plates  were  laid  for  eight. 
At  the  last  minute,  Mr.  Blithers  ordered  the  number 
increased  to  nine. 

"  My  daughter  may  put  in  an  appearance,"  he  ex- 
plained to  Lady  Simpson.  "  I  have  left  word  at  the 
hotel  for  her  to  come  up  if  by  any  chance  she  happens 
to  arrive  on  the  evening  train." 

"Haven't  you  heard  from  her,  Mr.  Blithers?"  in- 
quired the  austere  lady,  regarding  the  top  of  his  head 
with  an  illy-directed  lorgnon. 

They  were  entering  the  long,  low  dining-room.  Mr. 
Blithers  resented  the  scrutiny:  It  was  lofty  and  yet 
stooping.  She  seemed  to  be  looking  down  upon  him  at 
right  angles,  due  no  doubt  to  her  superior  height  and 
to  the  fact  that  she  had  taken  his  arm. 

"We  have,"  said  he,  "but  not  definitely.  She  is 
likely  to  pop  in  on  us  at  any  moment,  and  then  again 


S88        THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARE 

she's  likely  not  to.  My  daughter  is  a  very  uncertain 
person,  Lady  Simpson.  I  never  seem  to  be  able  to 
put  my  finger  upon  her." 

"  Have  you  ever  tried  putting  the  whole  hand  upon 
her  ?  "  inquired  her  ladyship,  and  Mr.  Blithers  stared 
straight  ahead,  incapable  of  replying. 

He  waited  until  they  were  seated  at  the  table 
and  then  remarked :  "  I  am  sorry  you  got  splashed, 
Lady  Simpson.  You'd  think  they  might  keep  the 
approach  to  a  place  like  this  free  of  mud  and 
water." 

"  Oh,  I  daresay  the  gown  can  be  cleaned,  Mr.  Blith- 
ers," she  said.  "  I  am  quite  ready  to  discard  it,  in 
any  event,  so  it  really  doesn't  matter." 

"  My  dear,"  said  he  to  his  wife,  raising  his  voice  so 
that  diners  at  nearby  tables  could  not  help  hearing 
what  he  said,  "  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  we  are  ex- 
pected to  dine  with  the  Prince  at  the  Castle."  Then 
he  wondered  if  any  one  in  the  room  understood  English. 

"  When  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"  Very  shortly,"  said  he,  and  she  was  puzzled  for  a 
moment  by  the  stony  glare  he  gave  her. 

Lord  Simpson  took  this  opportunity  to  mention  that 
he  had  taken  reservations  for  the  return  of  himself 
and  wife  to  Vienna  on  the  next  day  but  one. 

"  We  shall  catch  the  Orient  Express  on  Friday  and 
be  in  London  by  Monday,"  he  said.  "  Our  work  here 
is  completed.  Everything  is  in  ship-shape.  Jenkins 
will  remain,  of  course,  to  attend  to  the  minor  details, 
such  as  going  over  the  securities  and — " 


WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  EXPECTED       389 

"  Don't  you  like  that  caviare  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Blithers 
with  some  asperity. 

"  It  has  a  peculiar  taste,"  said  Lord  Simpson. 

"  Best  I've  ever  tasted,"  said  Mr.  Blithers,  spread- 
ing a  bun  thickly.  Pericault's  cousins  were  fingering 
the  champagne  glasses.  "  We've  got  sherry  coming 
first,"  said  he. 

"Everything  satisfactory,  M'sieur  Blithers?"  in- 
quired the  maitre  d'hotel  softly,  ingratiatingly,  into 
his  left  ear. 

"  Absolutely,"  said  Mr.  Blithers  with  precision. 
"  You  needn't  hurry  things.  We've  got  the  whole 
evening  ahead  of  us." 

Lady  Simpson  shivered  slightly.  The  Pericault 
cousins  brightened  up.  There  was  still  a  chance  that 
the  "  dowagers  "  would  retire  early  from  the  scene  of 
festivity. 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Simpson,  "  how  long  do  you 
purpose  remaining  in  Edelweiss,  Blithers?" 

For  the  first  time,  the  capitalist  faltered.  He  was 
almost  ready  to  admit  that  his  enterprise  had  failed  in 
one  vital  respect.  The  morning's  experience  in  the 
Council  Chamber  had  shaken  his  confidence  consider- 
ably. 

"  I  don't  know,  Simpson,"  said  he.  "  It  is  possible 
that  we  may  leave  soon." 

"  Before  the  Prince's  dinner  ?  "  inquired  Lady  Simp- 
son, again  regarding  his  bald  spot  through  the  lorg- 
non. 

"  Depends  on  what  my  daughter  has  to  say  when 


390         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

she  gets  here,"  said  he  almost  gruffly.  "  If  she  wants 
to  stay  for  a  while,  we  will  remain.  I  don't  mind  say- 
ing that  I  have  a  curious  longing  for  Wall  Street.  I 
am  at  home  there  and  —  well,  by  George,  I'm  like  a 
fish  out  of  water  here." 

His  wife  looked  up  quickly,  but  did  not  speak. 

"  I  am  a  business  man,  Lady  Simpson,  not  a  philan- 
derer. I'd  like  to  take  this  town  by  the  neck  and 
shake  some  real  enterprise  into  it,  but  what  can  you 
do  when  everybody  is  willing  to  sit  down  and  let  tradi- 
tion lodk  after  'em?  I've  put  a  lot  of  money  into 
Grosstock  and  I'd  like  to  see  the  country  prosper. 
Still  I'm  not  worried  over  my  investment.  It  Is  as 
good  as  gold." 

"  Perfectly  safe,"  said  Lord  Simpson. 

"  Absolutely,"  said  the  secondary  London  lawyer. 

Pericault's  comment  was  in  French  and  not  intended 
to  be  brief,  but  as  Mr.  Blithers  was  no  longer  inter- 
ested, the  privilege  of  completing  his  remarks  was  not 
accorded  him.  He  did  say  M on  dieu  under  his  breath, 
however,  in  the  middle  of  his  employer's  next  se»- 
tence. 

"  As  I  said  before,  everything  depends  on  whether 
my  daughter  wants  to  remain.  If  she  says  she  wants 
to  stay,  that  settles  the  point  so  far  as  I  am  concerned. 
If  she  says  she  doesn't  want  to  stay,  we'll  —  well,  that 
will  settle  it  also.  I  say,  waiter,  can't  you  hurry  the 
fish  along?  " 

"  Certainly,  sir.  I  understood  M'sieur  to  say  that 
there  was  no  hurry 


WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  EXPECTED       391 

"  Well,  pour  the  champagne  anyway.  I  think  we 
need  it." 

Two  hours  later,  Mr.  Blithers  looked  at  his  watch 
again.  The  party  was  quite  gay:  at  least  fifty  per- 
cent disorderly. 

"  That  train  has  been  in  for  an  hour,"  said  the  host. 
"  I  guess  Maud  didn't  come.  I  left  word  for  the  hotel 
to  call  me  up  if  she  arrived  —  I  say,  waiter,  has  there 
been  a  telephone  message  for  me  ?  " 

"  No,  M'sieur.  We  have  kept  a  boy  near  the  tele- 
phone all  evening,  M'sieur.  No  message." 

"  I  also  told  'em,  to  send  up  any  telegram  that  might 
come,"  he  informed  his  wife,  who  merely  lifted  her  eye- 
brows. They  had  been  lowered  perceptibly  in  conse- 
quence of  the  ebullience  of  Pericault's  cousins. 

The  vivacious  young  women  were  attracting  a  great 
deal  of  attention  to  their  table.  Smart  diners  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  appeared  to  be  a  trifle 
shocked.  Three  dignified  looking  gentlemen,  seated 
near  the  door,  got  up  and  left  the  room. 

"  We  really  must  be  going,"  said  Mrs.  Blithers 
nervously,  who  had  been  watching  the  three  men  for 
some  time  with  something  akin  to  dismay  in  her  soul. 
She  had  the  sickening  notion  that  they  were  members 
of  the  Cabinet  —  lords  of  the  realm. 

"  All  right,"  said  Mr.  Blithers.  "  Call  the  cars  up, 
waiter.  Still  raining?  " 

"  Yes,  M'sieur.     At  this  season  of  the  year  — " 

*  Call  the  cars.     Let's  have  your  bill.'* 

Pericault's  cousins  were  reluctant  to  go.     In 


892         THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

they  protested  shrilly  that  it  was  silly  to  break  up  sucii 
a  successful  party  at  such  an  unseemly  hour. 

"  Never  mind,"  whispered  Pericault  softly,  and 
winked. 

"  I'll  leave  'em  in  your  care,  Pericault,"1  said  Mr. 
Blithers  grimly.  "  They  are  your  cousins,  you  know." 

"  Trust  me  implicitly,  Monsieur,"  said  Pericault, 
bowing  very  deeply.  Then  he  said  good-night  to  Mrs. 
Blithers  and  Lady  Simpson.  The  secondary  London 
lawyer  did  the  same. 

Out  in  the  wide,  brilliantly  lighted  foyer,  a  few  late- 
stayers  were  waiting  for  their  conveyances  to  be  an- 
nounced. As  the  four  departing  members  of  the 
Blithers  party  grouped  themselves  near  the  big  doors, 
impatient  to  be  off,  a  brass-buttoned  boy  came  up  and 
delivered  a  telegram  to  the  host. 

He  was  on  the  point  of  tearing  open  the  envelope 
when  his  eyes  fell  upon  two  people  who  had  just  en- 
tered the  hall  from  without,  a  man  and  woman  clad  in 
raincoats.  At  the  same  instant  the  former  saw  Mr. 
Blithers.  Clutching  his  companion's  arm  he  directed 
her  attention  to  the  millionaire. 

"  Now  for  it,  Bedelia,"  he  whispered  excitedly. 

Bedelia  gazed  calmly  at  Mr.  Blithers  and  Mr. 
Blithers  gazed  blankly  at  the  Prince  of  Graustark. 
Then  the  great  financier  bowed  very  deeply  and  called 
out: 

*'  Good  evening,  Prince !  " 

He  received  no  response  to  his  polite  greeting,  for 
tke  Prince  was  staring  at  Bedelia  as  if  stupefied.  The 


WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  EXPECTED       393 

millionaire's  face  was  very  red  with  mortification  as  he 
turned  it  away. 

"  He  —  he  doesn't  recognise  you,"  gasped  Robin  in 
amazement. 

"  Who  ?  "  she  asked,  her  eyes  searching  the  room 
with  an  eager,  inquiring  look. 

"  Your  father,"  he  said. 

She  gave  him  a  ravishing,  delighted  smile. 

"  Oh,  it  is  so  wonderful,  Robin.  I  have  fooled  you 
completely.  That  man  isn't  my  father." 

"  That's  Mr.  Blithers  or  I  am  as  blind  as  a  bat," 
Tie  exclaimed. 

"  Is  it,  indeed?  The  one  reading  the  telegram,  with 
his  eyes  sticking  out  of  his  head?  " 

Robin's  head  was  swimming.  "  Good  heaven,  Be- 
<delia,  what  are  you  — " 

"  Ah !  "  she  cried,  with  a  little  shriek  of  joy.  "  See ! 
There  he  is !  " 

One  of  the  three  distinguished  men  who  had  been  re- 
marked by  Mrs.  Blithers  now  separated  himself  from 
Iris  companions  and  approached  the  couple.  He  was 
a  tall,  handsome  man  of  fifty.  Although  his  approach 
was  swift  and  eager,  there  was  in  his  face  the  signs  of 
wrath  that  still  struggled  against  joy. 

She  turned  quickly,  laid  her  hand  upon  the  Prince's 
rigid  arm,  and  said  softly : 

"  My  father  is  the  Prince  of  Dawsbergen,  dear." 

A  crumpled  telegram  dropped  from  Mr.  Blithers' 
palsied  hand  to  the  floor  as  he  turned  a  white,  despair- 


THE  PRINCE  OF  GRAUSTARK 

ing  face  upon  his  wife.  The  brass-buttoned  boy 
picked  it  up  and  handed  it  to  Mrs.  Blithers.  It  was 
from  Maud. 

"We  were  married  in  Vienna  today.  After  all  I  think  I 
shall  not  care  to  see  Graustark.  Channie  is  a  dear.  I  have 
promised  him  that  you  will  take  him  into  the  business  as  a 
partner.  We  are  at  the  Bristol. 

"MAUD." 


THE    END 


"The  Books  You  Like  to  Read 
at  the  Price  You  Like  to  Pay" 


There  Are  Two  Sides 
to  Everything — 

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for  every  mood  and  for  every  taste 


RUBY   M.    AYRES*    NOVELS 

May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.     Ask  for  Grosset  and  Dunlap's  list 

THE  MAN  WITHOUT  A  HEART 

Why  was  Barbara  held  captive  in  a  deserted  hermit's  hut  for  days  by  a  "  man 
without  a  heart  "  and  in  the  end  how  was  k  that  she  held  the  winning  card*. 

THE  ROMANCE  OF  A  ROGUE 

Twenty-four  hours  after  his  release  from  prison  Bruce  Lawn  finds  himself  play- 
ing a  most  surprising-  role  in  a  drama  of  human  relationships  that  sweeps  on  to  a 
wonderfully  emotional  climax. 

THE  MATHERSON  MARRIAGE 

She  married  for  money.  With  her  own  hands  she  had  locked  the  door  pa  hap- 
piness and  thrown  away  the  key.  But,  read  the  story  which  is  very  interesting  and 
well  told. 

RICHARD  CHATTERTON 

A  fascinating  story  in  which  love  and  jealousy  play  strange  tricks  with  women's 
toufe. 

A  BACHELOR  HUSBAND 

•     Can  a  woman  love  two  men  at  the  same  time  ? 

In  its  solving  of  this  particular  variety  of  triangle  "A  Bachelor  Husband"  will 
oarticularly  interest,  and  strangely  enough,  without  one  shock  to  the  most  conven- 
tional minded. 

THE  SCAR 

With  fine  comprehension  and  insight  the  author  show*  a  terrific  contrast  be- 
tween the  woman  whose  love  was  of  the  flesh  and  one  whose  love  was  of  the  spirit. 

THE  MARRIAGE  OF   BARRY  WICKLOW 

Here  is  a  man  and  woman  who,  marrying  for  love,  yet  try  to  build  their  wedded 
if e  upon  a  gospel  of  hate  for  each  other  and  yet  win  back  to  a  greater  love  for  each 
nher  in  the  end. 

THE  UPHILL  ROAD 

The  heroine  of  this  story  was  a  consort  of  thieves.  The  man  was  fine,  clean, 
fresh  from  the  West.  It  is  a  story  of  strength  and  passion. 

WINDS  OF  THE  WORLD 

Jill,  a  poor  little  typist,  marries  the  great  Henry  Sturgess  and  inherits  millions, 
but  not  happiness.  Then  at  last— but  we  must  leave  that  to  Ruby  M.  Ayres  to  tell 
you  as  only  she  can. 

THE  SECOND  HONEYMOON 

In  this  story  the  author  has  produced  a  book  which  no  one  who  has  loved  or 
hopes  to  love  can  afford  to  miss.  The  story  fairly  leaps  from  climax  to  climax. 

THE  PHANTOM  LOVER 

Have  you  not  often  heard  of  someone  being  in  love  with  love  rather  than  the 
person  they  believed  the  object  of  their  affections  ?  That  was  Esther !  But  sh« 
passes  through  the  crisis  into  a  deep  and  profound  love. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,         PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


JAMES  OLIVER  CURWOOD'S 

STORIES  OF  ADVENTURE 

May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.     Ask  for  Grosset  &  Dunlap's  list 

THE  COUNTRY  BEYOND 
THE  FLAMING  FOREST 


THE  VALLEY  OF  SILENT  MEN 

THE  RIVER'S  END 

THE  GOLDEN  SNARE 

NOMADS  OF  THE  NORTH 

KAZAN 

BAREE,  SON  OF  KAZAN 

THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

THE  DANGER  TRAIL 

THE  HUNTED  WOMAN 

THE  FLOWER  OF  THE  NORTH 

THE  GRIZZLY  KING 

1SOBEL 

THE  WOLF   HUNTERS 

THE  GOLD  HUNTERS 

THE  COURAGE  OF  MARGE  O'DOONE 

BACK  TO  GOD'S  COUNTRY 


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ZANE   GREY'S   NOVELS 

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THE  MYSTERIOUS  RIDER 
THE  MAN  OF  THE  FOREST 


THE  U.  P.  TRAIL 

WILDFIRE 

THE  BORDER  LEGION 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  THE  DESERT 
RIDERS  OF  THE  PURPLE  SAGE 
THE  LIGHT  OF  WESTERN  STARS 
THE  LAST  OF  THE  PLAINSMEN 
THE  LONE  STAR  RANGER 
DESERT  GOLD 
BETTY  ZANE 

****••» 
LAST  OF  THE  GREAT  SCOUTS   » 

The  life  story  of  "  Buffalo  Bill "  by  his  sister  Helen  Cody 
Wetmore,  with  Foreword  and  conclusion  by  Zane  Grey. 


THE  YOUNG  FORESTER 
|       THE  YOUNG  PITCHER 
THE  SHORT  STOP 

THE  RED-HEADED  OUTFIELD  AND  OTHER 
BASEBALL  STORIES 

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EDGAR  RICE  BURROUGHS 
NOVELS 

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TARZAN  AND  THE  GOLDEN  LION 

A  tale  of  the  African  wilderness  which  appeals  to  all  readers 
of  fiction. 

TARZAN  THE  TERRIBLE 

Further  thrilling  adventures  of  Tarzan  while  seeking  his  wife 
in  Africa. 

TARZAN  THE  UNTAMED 

Tells  of  Tarzan's  return  to  the  life  of  the  ape-man  in  seeking 
vengeance  for  the  loss  of  his  wife  and  home. 

JUNGLE  TALES  OF  TARZAN 

Records  the  many  wonderful  exploits  by  which  Tarzan  proves 
tis  right  to  ape  kingship. 

AT  THE  EARTH'S  CORE 

An  astonishing  series  of  adventures  in  a  world  located  inside 
of  the  Earth. 

THE  MUCKER 

The  story  of  Billy  Byrne — as  extraordinary  a  character  as  the 
famous  Tarzan. 

A  PRINCESS  OF  MARS 

-Forty-three  million  miles  from  the  earth — a  succession  of  the 
wierdest  and  most  astounding  adventures  in  fiction. 

THE  GODS  OF  MARS 

>  Jonn  Carter's  adventures  on  Mars,  where  he  fights  the  fero« 
cious  "plant  men,"  and  defies  Issus,  the  Goddess  of  Death. 

THE  WARLORD  OF  MARS 

Old  acquaintances,  made  in  two  other  storied,  reappear,  Tars 
Tarkas,  Tardos  Mors  and  others. 

THUVIA,  MAID  OF  MARS 

The  story  centers  around  the  adventures  of  Carthoris,  the  son 
of  John  Carter  and  Thuvia,  daughter  of  a  Martian  Emperor. 

THE  CHESSMEN  OF  MARS 

The  adventures  of  Princess  Tara  in  the  land  of  headless  men, 
creatures  with  the  power  of  detaching  their  heads  from  theif 
bodies  and  replacing  them  at  will.  

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


EMERSON    HOUGH'S    NOVELS 

May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.     Ask  for  Grosset  and  Dunlap's  list 

THE  COVERED  WAGON 

NORTH  OF  36 

THE  WAY  OF  A  MAN 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  OUTLAW 

THE  SAGEBRUSHER 

THE  GIRL  AT  THE  HALFWAY  HOUSE 

THE  WAY  OUT 

THE  MAN  NEXT  DOOR 

THE  MAGNIFICENT  ADVENTURE 

THE  BROKEN  GATE 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  COWBOY 

THE  WAY  TO  THE  WEST 

54-40  OR  FIGHT 

HEART'S  DESIRE 

THE  MISSISSIPPI  BUBBLE 

THE  PURCHASE  PRICE 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    PUBLISHERS,   NEW  YORK 


GEORGE  W.  OGDEN'S  WESTERN  NOVELS 

May  b-  had  wherever  books  ara  sold.     Ask  for  Grosset  &  Ounlap's  list 

THE  BARON  OF  DIAMOND  TAIL~ 

The  Elk  Mountain  Cattle  Co.  had  not  paid  a  dividend  in  years  ; 
so  Edgar  Barrett,  fresh  from  the  navy,  was  sent  West  to  see  what 
was  wrong  at  the  ranch.  The  tale  of  this  tenderfoot  outwitting  the 
buckaroos  at  their  own  play  will  sweep  you  into  the  action  of  this 
salient  western  novel. 

THE  BONDBOY 

Joe  Newbolt,  bound  out  by  force  of  family  conditions  to  work  for 
*  number  of  years,  is  accused  of  murder  and  circumstances  are 
against  him.  His  mouth  is  sealed;  he  cannot,  as  a  gentleman,  utter 
the  words  that  would  clear  him.  A  dramatic,  romantic  tale  of  intense 
interest. 

CLAIM  NUMBER  ONE 

Dr.  Warren  Slavens  drew  claim  number  one,  which  entitled  him 
to  first  choice  of  rich  lands  on  an  Indian  reservation  in  Wyoming.  It 
meant  a  fortune  ;  but  before  he  established  his  ownership  he  had  a 
hard  battle  with  crooks  and  politicians. 

THE  DUKE  OF  CHIMNEY  BUTTE 

When  Jerry  Lambert,  "the  Duke,"  attempts  to  safeguard  the 
cattle  ranch  of  Vesta  Philbrook  from  thieving  neighbors,  his  work  is 
appallingly  handicapped  because  of  Grace  Kerr,  one  of  the  chief  agi- 
tators, and  a  deadly  enemy  of  Vesta's.  A  stirring  tale  of  brave  deeds, 
gun-play  and  a  love  that  shines  above  all. 

THE  FLOCKMASTER  OF  POISON  CREEK 

John  Mackenzie  trod  the  trail  from  Jasper  to  the  great  sheep 
country  where  fortunes  were  being  made  by  the  flock-masters. 
Shepherding  was  not  a  peaceful  pursuit  in  those  bygone  days.  Ad- 
venture met  him  at  every  turn — there  is  a  girl  of  course — men  fight 
their  best  fights  for  a  woman — it  is  an  epic  of  the  sheeplands. 

THE  LAND  OF  LAST  CHANCE 

Jim  Timberlake  and  Capt.  David  Scott  waited  with  restless 
thousands  on  the  Oklahoma  line  for  the  signal  to  dash  across  the 
border.  How  the  city  of  Victory  arose  overnight  on  the  plains,  how 
people  savagely  defended  their  claims  against  the  "sooners;  "  how 
good  men  and  bad  played  politics,  makes  a  strong  story  of  growth 
and  American  initiative. 

TRAIL'S  END 

Ascalon  was  the  end  of  the  trail  for  thirsty  cowboys  who  gave 
vent  to  their  pent-up  feelings  without  restraint.  Calvin  Morgan  was 
not  concerned  with  its  wickedness  until  Seth  Craddock's  malevolence 
directed  itself  against  him.  He  did  not  emerge  from  the  maelstrom 
until  he  had  obliterated  every  vestige  of  lawlessness,  and  assured 
himself  of  the  safety  of  a  certain  dark-eyed  girl. 

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JACKSON  GREGORY'S  NOVELS 

"  May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.      Ask  for  Grossst  &  Dunlac'<  list. 

THE  EVERLASTING  WHISPER 

The  story  of  a  strong  man's  struggle  against  savage  nature  and  human. 
ity,  and  of  a  beautiful  girl's  /egeneration  from  a  spoiled  child  ot  wealth  into, 
a  courageous  strong-willed  woman. 

DESERT  VALLEY 

A  college  professor  sets  out  with  his  daughter  to  find  gold.  They  meet 
a  rancher  who  loses  his  heart,  and  become  involved  in  a  feud.  An  intensely' 
exciting  story. 

MAN  TO  MAN 

Encircled  with  enemies,  distrusted,  Steve  defends  his  rights.  How  he 
won  his  game  and  the  girl  he  loved  is  the  story  filled  with  breathless 

situations.  t 

THE  BELLS  OF  SAN  JUAN 

Dr.  Virginia  Page  is  forced  to  go  with  the  sheriff  on  a  night  journey 
goto  the  strongholds  of  a  lawless  band.  Thrills  and  excitement  sweep  the 
reader  along  to  the  end. 

JUDITH  OF  BLUE  LAKE  RANCH 

Judith  Sanford  part  owner  of  a  cattle  ranch  realizes  she  is  being  robbed 
by  her  foreman.  How,  with  the  help  of  Bud  Lee,  she  checkmates  Trevor's 
scheme  makes  fascinating  reading. 

THE  SHORT  CUT 

~~  Wayne  is  suspected  of  killing  his  brother  after  a  violent  quarrel.  Finan- 
cial complications,  villains,  a  horse-race  and  beautiful  Wanda,  all  go  to  male* 
up  a  thrilling  romance. 

THE  JOYOUS  TROUBLE  MAKER 

A  reporter  sets  up  housekeeping  close  to  Beatrice's  Ranch  much  to  her 
chagrin.  There  is  "  another  man  "  who  complicates  matters,  but  all  turn* 
out  as  it  should  in  this  tale  of  romance  and  adventure. 

SIX  FEET  FOUR 

I  Beatrice  Waverly  is  robbed  of  $5,000  and  suspicion  fastens  upon  Buclf 
'  Thornton,  but  «he  soon  realizes  he  is  not  guilty.  Intensely  exciting,  here  is  » 
'real  story  of  the  Great  Far  West.  , 

WOLF  BREED 

No  Luck  Drennan  had  grown  hard  through  loss  of  faith  in  men  he  had 
trusted.  A  woman  hater  and  sharp  of  tongue,  he  finds  a  match  in  Ygerne 
whose  clever  fencing  wins  the  admiration  and  love  of  the  "  Lone  Wolf." 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


THE  NOVELS  OF 

GRACE    LIVINGSTON     HILL 

(MRS.  LUTZ) 

May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.     Ask  for  Grosset  and  Dunlap's  list 
BEST  MAN,  THE 
CLOUDY  JEWEL 
DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING 
ENCHANTED  BARN,  THE 
EXIT  BETTY 

FINDING  OF  JASPER  HOLT,  THE 
GIRL  FROM  MONTANA.  THE 
LO,  MICHAEL  ! 
MAN  OF  THE  DESERT.  THE 
MARCIA  SCHUYLER 
MIRANDA 

MYSTERY  OF  MARY.  THE 
OBSESSION  OF  VICTORIA  GRACEN.  THE 
PHOEBE  DEANE 
RED  SIGNAL,  THE 
SEARCH,  THE 
TRYST,  THE 

VOICE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS,  A 
WITNESS,  THE 

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"STORM  COUNTRY"  BOOKS  BY 

GRACE  MILLER  WHITE 

Hay  ba  had  wherever  books  are  sold.     Ask  for  Grossot  ft  Dunlap's  list 

JUDY  OF  ROGUES'  HARBOR 

Judy's  untutored  ideas  of  God,  her  love  of  wild  things, 
her  faith  in  life  are  quite  as  inspiring  as  those  of  Tess. 
Her  faith  and  sincerity  catch  at  your  heart  strings.  This 
book  has  all  of  the  mystery  and  tense  action  of  the  other 
Storm  Country  books. 

TESS  OF  THE  STORM  COUNTRY 

It  was  as  Tess,  beautiful,  wild,  impetuous,  that  Mary 
Pickford  made  her  reputation  as  a  motion  picture  actress. 
How  love  acts  upon  a  temperament  such  as  hers — a  tem- 
perament that  makes  a  woman  an  angel  or  an  outcast,  ac- 
cording to  the  character  of  the  man  she  loves — is  the 
theme  of  the  story. 

THE  SECRET  OF  THE  STORM  COUNTRY 

The  sequel  to  "  Tess  of  the  Storm  Country,"  with  the 
same  wild  background,  with  its  half-gypsy  life  of  the  squat- 
ters— tempestuous,  passionate,  brooding.  Tess  learns  the 
"  secret "  of  her  birth  and  finds  happiness  and  love  through 
her  boundless  faith  in  life. 

FROM  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  MISSING 

A  haunting  story  with  its  scene  laid  near  the  country 
familiar  to  readers  of  "  Tess  of  the  Storm  Country." 

ROSE  O*  PARADISE 

"  Jinny  "  Singleton,  wild,  lovely,  lonely,  but  with  a  pas- 
sionate yearning  for  music,  grows  up  in  the  house  of  Lafe 
Grandoken,  a  crippled  cobbler  of  the  Storm  Country.  Her 
romance  is  full  of  power  and  glory  and  tenderness. 

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ELEANOR  H.  PORTER'S  NOVELS 

May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.       Ask  for  Grosset  &  Dunlap's  list. 

JUST  DAVID 

The  tale  of  a  loveable  boy  and  the  place  he  comes  M> 
fill  in  the  hearts  of  the  gruff  farmer  folk  to  whose  care  ka 
is  left. 

THE  ROAD  TO  UNDERSTANDING 

A  compelling  romance  of  love  and  marriage, 
OH,  MONEY!   MONEY! 

Stanley  Fulton,  a  wealthy  bachelor,  to  test  the  disposi- 
tions of  his  relatives,  sends  them  each  a  check  for  $100,- 
000,  and  then  as  plain  John  Smith  comes  among  them  to 
watch  the  result  of  his  experiment 

SIX  STAR  RANCH 

A  wholesome  story  of  a  club  of  six  girls  and  their  sum- 
mer on  Six  Star  Ranch. 

DAWN 

The  story  of  a  blind  boy  whose  courage  leads  him 
through  the  gulf  of  despair  into  a  final  victory  gained  by 
dedicating  his  life  to  the  service  of  blind  soldiers. 

ACROSS  THE  YEARS 

Short  stories  of  our  own  kind  and  of  our  own  people. 
Contains  some  of  the  best  writing  Mrs.  Porter  has  ione. 

THE  TANGLED  THREADS 

In  these  stories  we  find  the  concentrated  charm  ape 
tenderness  of  all  her  other  books. 

THE  TIE  THAT  BINDS 

Intensely  human  stories  told  with  Mrs.  Porter's  won- 
derful taicnt  for  warm  and  vivid  character  drawing. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


ETHEL    M.    DELL'S    NOVELS 

May  ba  had  wherever  books  are  said.    Aik  for  Bresiet  ft  Dunlap's  lirt. 

CHARLES  REX 

The  struggle  against  a  hidden  secret  and  the  lore  of  a 
strong  man  and  a  courageous  woman. 
THE  TOP  OF  THE  WORLD 

Tells  of  the  path  which  leads  at  last  to  the  "  top  of  the 
world,"  which  it  is  given  to  few  seekers  to  find. 
THE  LAMP  IN  THE  DESERT 

Tells  of  the  lamp  of  love  that  continues  to  shine  through 
all  sorts  of  tribulations  to  final  happiness. 
GREATHEART 

The  story  of  a  cripple  whose  deformed  body  conceals 
a  noble  soul. 
THE  HUNDREDTH  CHANCE 

A  hero  who  worked  to  win  even  when  there  was  only 
"  a  hundredth  chance." 
THE  SWINDLER 

The   story   of   a    "bad   man's"    soul   revealed   by  a 
woman9  s   faith. 
THE  TIDAL  WAVE 

Tales  of  love  and  of  women  who  learned  to  know  the 
true  from  the  false. 
THE  SAFETY  CURTAIN 

A  very  vivid  love  story  of  India.     The  volume  also 
contains  four  other  long  stories  of  equal  interest. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,         PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


BOOTH     TARKINGTON'S 
NOVELS ' 

May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.     Ask  for  Grasset  &  Dunlap's  list. 

SEVENTEEN.    Illustrated  by  Arthur  William  Brown. 

No  one  but  the  creator  of  Penrod  could  have  portrayed 
the  immortal  young  people  of  this  story.  Its  humor  is  irre- 
sistible and  reminiscent  of  the  tune  when  the  reader  was 
Seventeen. 

PENROD.    Illustrated  by  Gordon  Grant. 

This  is  a  picture  of  a  boy's  heart,  full  of  the  lovable,  hu- 
morous, tragic  things  which  are  locked  secrets  to  most  older 
folks.  It  is  a  finished,  exquisite  work. 

PENROD  AND  SAM.  Illustrated  by  Worth  Brehm. 

Like  "  Penrod "  and  "  Seventeen,"  this  book  contains 
eome  remarkable  phases  of  real  boyhood  and  some  of  the  best 
stories  of  juvenile  prankishness  that  have  ever  been  written. 

THE  TURMOIL.    Illustrated  by  C.  E.  Chambers. 

Bibbs  Sheridan  is  a  dreamy,  imaginative  youth,  who  re- 
volts against  his  father's  plans  for  him  to  be  a  servitor  of 
big  business.  The  love  of  a  fine  girl  turns  Bibb's  life  from 
failure  to  success. 

THE  GENTLEMAN  FROM  INDIANA.    Frontispiece. 

A  story  of  love  and  politics, — more  especially  a  picture  of 
a  country  editor's  life  in  Indiana,  but  the  charm  of  the  book 
lies  in  the  love  interest. 

THE  FLIRT.    Illustrated  by  Clarence  F.  Underwood. 

The  "  Flirt,"  the  younger  of  two  sisters,  breaks  one  girl's 
engagement,  drives  one  man  to  suicide,  causes  the  murder 
of  another,  leads  another  to  lose  his  fortune,  and  in  the  end 
marries  a  stupid  and  unpromising  suitor,  leaving  the  really 
worthy  one  to  marry  her  sister. 

A»k  for  Complete  free  list  of  G.    6-  D.    Popular  Copyrighted  Fiction 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


FLORENCE  L.  BARCLAY'S 
NOVELS 

May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.      Ask  for  Grosset  &  Dunlap's  llrt. 

I  THE  WHITE  LADIES  OF  WORCESTER 

A  novel  of  the  12th  Century.  The  heroine,  believing  she 
had  lost  her  lover,  enters  a  convent.  He  returns,  and  in- 
teresting developments  follow. 

;  THE  UPAS  TREE 

A  love  story  of  rare  charm.  It  deals  with  a  successful 
author  and  his  wife. 

THROUGH  THE  POSTERN  GATE 

The  story  of  a  seven  day  courtship,  in  which  the  dis- 
crepancy in  ages  vanished  into  insignificance  before  the 
convincing  demonstration  of  abiding  love. 

THE  ROSARY 

The  story  of  a  young  artist  who  is  reputed  to  love  beauty 
above  all  else  in  the  world,  but  who,  when  blinded  through 
an  accident,  gains  life's  greatest  happiness.  A  rare  story 
of  the  great  passion  of  two  real  people  superbly  capable  of 
love,  its  sacrifices  and  its  exceeding  reward. 

THE  MISTRESS  OF  SHENSTONE 

The  lovely  young  Lady  Ingleby,  recently  widowed  by  the 
death  of  a  husband  who  never  understood  her,  meets  a  fine, 
clean  young  chap  who  is  ignorant  of  her  title  and  they  fall 
deeply  in  love  with  each  other.  When  he  learns  her  real 
identity  a  situation  of  singular  power  is  developed. 

THE  BROKEN  HALO 

The  story  of  a  young  man  whose  religious  belief  was 

shattered  in  childhood  and  restored  to  him  by  the  little 
j  white  lady,  many  years  older  than  himself,  to  whom  he  is 
,  passionately  devoted. 

THE  FOLLOWING  OF  THE  STAR 

The  story  of  a  young  missionary,  who,  about  to  start  for 
Africa,  marries  wealthy  Diana  Rivers,  in  order  to  help  her 
fulfill  the  conditions  of  her  uncle's  will,  and  how  they  finally 
come  to  love  each  other  and  are  reunited  after  experiences 
that  soften  and  purify.  

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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